Critical Reflection
During the final term at Camberwell I further consolidated my critical reflection by focusing on my main key themes and challenges:
- What is cultural identity?
- What forges identity?
- How is the essence of resilience embodied and evoked through art?
- Welsh landscape - sense of place and community.
- Modern-day stoicism - its recognition and celebration.
Importantly, I also addressed the challenge of how best to present these through developing and expanding my practice and focusing on the people who work at these engineering plants and factories.
Contemporary Art in Wales
Welsh identity has very much remained of interest to contemporary artists in Wales, with a number being particularly proactive in promoting the Welsh language. The landscape and heritage of Wales has long been a source of inspiration to artists, from the beautiful landscapes of Kyffin Williams (1918-2006) to the more experimental approach of Bedwyr Williams (1974-) in his piece “Tyrrau Mawr”. Williams is an artist I much admire who combines humour, social commentary with a sense of integrity.Following a period of study in London he has returned to Wales where he is very much engaged with the community and a range of social, political and environmental issues.
Welsh identity is intrinsically linked to history and a sense of place with industrialisation a key element. I very much began Unit 1 with this in mind and research throughout the course relevant to the tin plate, copper, steel and mining industries has been impactful to my practice. I grew up in Wales during the 1970s and this was a time of the Thatcher government and the Miners strike which unquestionably shaped identity and that element of resilience which really interests. During Unit 2 I visited both the “Streic” (Strike!) exhibition at the national Gallery of Wales and the Valleys Project archive at the Ffotogallery in Cardiff which also included material (newspaper and magazine clippings) with regard to the Aberfan disaster. The latter have stayed with me and one image in particular, which had a tear at the bottom, I found incredibly powerful. I recall the visit to Aberfan clearly; a beautiful village a half hour train journey from Cardiff and I was really taken by the place, the library, the park itself and the social club with smiling Friday faces. There was no sense of treating me like a stranger and I chatted with a couple whose children were playing in the park which marked the site of the disaster.
As reflected upon in my Unit 2 submission, the work of artist Jeremy Deller is probative of this period. On visiting the National Museum of Wales during Unit 2 I saw his installation/film “So many ways to hurt you, the life and times of Adrian Street” (2010). A very important exploration on identity set against a landscape of the mining community. The film commissioned by Artangel “The Battle of Orgreave” (2001) is a powerful re enactment of the Miners strike and what took place at the event including the press misrepresentation and political machinations under Thatcher. The miners strike of 1984 and other periods of unrest were fundamental in creating a distrust of the “ruling” classes and in creating an almost siege mentality which has certainly persisted in rivalries between Wales and England. https://www.jeremydeller.org
During Unit 1 I was very fortunate in being invited to the Josef Herman Foundation in Ystradgynlais, South Wales where I spent the afternoon with family members and in viewing his work which is archived there.
The Welsh language has also been very important in maintaining that sense of identity and schools are now far more proactive in promoting and conserving the language. The annual Eisteddfod festival remains a major event in Wales in celebrating both the language and culture of Wales. This years Chair was created from steel at the Port Talbot TATA site being particularly relevant given the closure of a significant part of the works. The chair was created by Brynammman artist and fabricator Angharad Pearce Jones. The BECA artist movement remains active in ensuring that the Welsh language is maintained through art. A very interesting group established in the 1970s in Wales with a focus on national consciousness and political engagement; and sought to tackle issues of language rights, environmental concerns and land ownership in Wales. Their practice embracing installation, painting, sculpture and performance art. There were influences from international art movements like the Arte Povera, Fluxus, and Surrealism. Having researched the group I certainly saw the influence of Josef Beuys and who I have researched further. Notable artists of Bala being Ivor Davies, Ian Bala, Peter Finnemore and Tim Davies.
Having visited the Glyn Vivian Gallery, opposite the Swansea school of Art in the summer the work of Ceri Richards has also been of interest and in particular his painting at the tin plate works in Gowerton, on the outskirts of Swansea. His father was employed at the works; the tin plate industry being a major employer at the time with sites across Wales. During Unit 2 I attended the area regularly and conducted research at both Pontardulais and Swansea libraries which hold some beautiful photographs showing both men and women working at the furnaces. I also spoke with a number of people who had first hand knowledge of the works where Ceri Richards father had been employed. These were the halcyon days of Welsh industry where despite the challenging conditions camaraderie through adversity remained a driving force. This sense of place and history has resonated with me throughout my visits. Many of the people I met at the work places seemed to have an innate sense of respect for the value of work and took great pride in their labours. My firm intention will be to gain a residency in the area and forge a greater understanding of this sense of resilience in a celebratory way. The steel firm Shufflebottom have recently posted a piece on my project on their website and I hope to work with them further.
A visit to the beautiful Cyfarthfa castle museum and art gallery in Merthyr during the summer brought me an introduction to the work of Brenda Chamberlain (1912-1971). I was really taken with the piece “Children on the Seashore ” 1950.I particularly enjoyed the playful nature along with the background of handwritten text. The linear perspective is very effective in capturing the sense of movement and I found myself being drawn in from all directions. I also enjoyed the way that the boy and girl were both holding the hoop which appears to be a gateway.
The work of Richard Serra became a source of inspiration along with having attended an excellent exhibition at the Ffotogallery, Cardiff entitled “After the End of History: British Working Class Photography 1989-2024” (A Hayward Gallery touring exhibition). This exhibition and an opportunity of speaking with the curatorial team led to my further researching the work of Francis Fukuyama and specifically two books: “After the End of History: Conversations with Francis Fukuyama” Edited by Mathilde Fasting and “The End of History and the Last Man” by Francis Fukuyama. The curator of the show, Johnny Pitts, has also produced a very evocative book in conjunction with Roger Robinson entitled Home is not a place (Harper Collins Publishers, London 2022), which has provided me with ideas for the presentation of my own book at the Research Festival.
The accompanying film has certainly reinforced my practice in seeking to establish that sense of collaboration between the artist and the subject. The film Home is not a place - Artist Film, produced by Photoworks, focuses on the essence not only of what it is to be a black person but also upon the recognition and celebration of, as he (Pitts) puts it, producing “images of everydayness”. I was struck by this phrase and his use of the words “softness” and “gentleness” in the way he describes his work. This is very much what I try to produce in my practice, in revealing a sense of tenderness from that which you would not ordinarily expect to encounter. An example is that of “Ethany” at the engineering site in Swansea. A quiet, rather shy young person working in a male-dominated industry. Certain photographs from these plants evoke that sense of camaraderie and respect which often only occur when working in challenging environments. In one of the photographs she is seen working alongside one of her colleagues, and there is a real sense of respect and trust between them. Johnny Pitts has also produced the excellent Afropean: Notes from Black Europe, which explores cultural identity. I found the book both very readable and very informative.
A recent reading of the book Richard Serra: Dirks Pod has also further reinforced the sense of the “here and now” aspect in my practice, which I have previously dealt with in the writing of Paul Auster (Here and Now: Letters, 2008-2011 by Paul Auster and J.M. Coetzee), in which there is an exploration of resilience. The introduction to Dirks Pod by Daniel Vasella refers to Serra’s installation as follows: “this important work which enables us to experience the radiance of this monumental work, “the here and now of the work of art - its unique existence in the place where it is located” as Walter Benjamin put it”. Going forward I will situate the metal screen crafted in South Wales and which was shown at our Summer Show, along with a number of the screen printed images and re photograph. (Dirks Pod Printed in Germany 2004 by Steidl).
Another book which I was struck by was “A Seventh Man” by John Berger and Jean Mohr.
Whilst first published in 1975 it is as relevant today, perhaps even more so, than it was at the time. The book focuses on the experiences of migrant workers throughout Europe: “To consider his life - its material circumstances and his inner feelings - is to be brought face to face with the fundamental nature of our present societies and their histories.” Further, I was also interested by the structure of the book itself and in Berger’s “A note to the reader” (introduction to the book): “The book consists of images and words. Both should be read in their own terms. Only occasionally is an image used to illustrate the text. The photographs, taken over a period of years by John Mohr, say things which are beyond the reach of words. The pictures in sequence make a statement: statement which is equal and comparable to, but different from, that of the text” And with regard to the text: “In the text there are a dozen quotations which are acknowledged at the end, but not on the pages which they are printed. They relate to facts and processes whose implications are larger than those of authorship”.
Having prints alongside text often brings an interesting dynamic as highlighted by John Berger in his book “A Seventh Man” and Johny Pitts in his book “Home is not a place”. Both are dealt with in this section.
An artist whose work I much admire is Wolfgang Tillmans, whose major exhibition at the Pompidou in Paris I attended in the summer. Having researched his work I was struck by its compelling nature. Whilst addressing major issues he also refers to the ordinariness of subjects and how these can be interpreted. This is something with which I am very interested. In engaging people to view and celebrate the ordinary and reflect upon their importance. I have also read the book “Wolfgang Tillmans To look without fear” by Roxana Marcoci (Published by MOMA New York). For Marcoci Tillmans poses important questions: What can pictures make visible? What can one know at all? Who deserves attention? And, for me, most importantly: How can one connect with other people?
In the chapter “The Wandering Image”, I was introduced to André Malraux, a politician and writer in the mid-1930s. “For André Malraux, photography offered a way to understand the human condition, enabled cross-cultural analysis, and democratised the experience of art by freeing original objects from their contexts and relocating them ‘closer’ to the viewer.” The curation of his work is always interesting and challenging. I first came across this at the exhibition “Photography in the 80s” at Tate Britain earlier this year and it led me to a greater appreciation of the power of effective curation. Marcoci refers to Tillmans skill in challenging the viewer: ” Large inkjet prints, attached to the wall with binder clips, bowing slightly along the edges are juxtaposed with postcard sized images, photocopies, magazine pages, and glossy chromogenic prints fastened with Scotch Magic Tape. Tillmans organises each part of the wall almost as though it were a page layout and makes full use of the architecture of the room, hanging photographs in a corner above a doorframe in the vicinity of the exit sign, on a freestanding column, next to a fire extinguisher”. Through a study of Tillmans work it is clear that he was very much attuned to an appreciation in image networks and the potential of spatial dynamics. Pieces which I particularly enjoy: “Lutz and Alex” 1992 printed on fabric, “Moon in Earthlight” 2021 (installation at Hove, England above antique fireplace); “The state we’re in” 2015 (Powerful and evocative which invites the viewer to investigate from all angles); “Movin Cool”, 2010 inkjet print; “Kepler Venice table 1” 2019 (chromogenic prints, laser photocopies, offset print, Polaroid paper, doily paper, paper headrest, wood, glass, 78 x 198 x 68.5 cm).
Andreas Gursky: recent exhibition at the White Cube, Bermondsey. Another artist who I much admire and who addresses contemporary issues and challenges. One piece in particular at this exhibition resonated with my own project where he photographed within a German steel manufacturing plant.
I very much admire Gursky’s practice where the photograph becomes a cultural metaphor. There is a very unusual and, as the commentator in this film clip says, “a supernatural clarity” to his work in the way he challenges us in “how we order the world”. His use of the mobile phone initially brings an immediacy to his work in the way he sees something and can then capture it before returning to the scene and re-photographing it. I try to bring this to my work - in allowing myself a certain freedom in seeing and recognising a moment or scenario which will then often serve as a catalyst for further thought. In the same way it is interesting to overhear a conversation or interaction between people. I now always carry a notebook and record certain phrases or comments overheard. This is not done in an overt way but rather following the incident or event as was the case with the venues visited in Wales and which form part of the Research Festival planned book.
Gursky’s pieces “Amazon” (2016) and “Montparnasse” (1995) are particularly effective in showing an important aspect of contemporary culture and urban systems. They are both beautiful and thought provoking. The presentation of “Montparnasse” is particularly effective and something which I hope to bring to my work. “Montparnasse” in fact brought me to a rereading of the book Life: A User’s Manual by Georges Perec which I particularly enjoyed (Perec G, 1988, Life, London: Collins/Harvill). This documentary provides further insight into Gursky’s approach and methodology.
As with the present situation with Port Talbot in South Wales it highlights the challenges to industrial infrastructures all over the world.
I also enjoy the work of Ed Ruscha (1937-) and in particular the books: Various Small Fires and Milk (1964), and 26 Gasoline Stations (1963). Research on Ruscha has certainly influenced my crafting of images for the Research Festival.
Throughout the course, the UAL libraries and research further afield (dealt with later) have reinforced the importance of curiosity, of seeing an image whether it be a painting by Caravaggio or the film Mean Streets. Whilst retaining a focus on my project, I have certainly also allowed myself to explore and enquire. A good example being the work of photographer Colin Jones, referenced below.
Having researched various material outlined in the reference section relevant to the subjects in my initial submission pertaining to the events of the Aberfan disaster (1966), the Miners’ Strike (1984-85), and the declining steel industry of Port Talbot in the present day, I have now begun to focus my practice more through an anthropological lens. There is now a greater concentration on the here and now and in the celebration of the human spirit. A recent reading of Here and Now: Letters, 2008-2011 by J.M. Coetzee and Paul Auster examines the importance of resilience through experience, with Auster capturing this in his assertion: “You can’t put your feet on the ground until you’ve touched the sky.” The letters embrace many subjects and reinforce the necessity for communication which has become more and more of a challenge in modern-day society.
A reading of Robert Frank Story Lines and London/Wales reveal the essence of the human spirit. I was particularly struck by the presentation of the images and text in an almost “scrap book” style, and the juxtaposition of photographs from various dates in Robert Frank Story Lines. In the chapter “time/gold” by Ian Penman this is explored as ” Throughout his career, he returns to “past” working order to turn it around. Every image can be redeployed elsewhere, otherwise. This keeps the past alive as a NOW-borne angel to watch over each coming retrospectives “you have finally arrived!”. He literally re-presents past work; makes revealing montage of every page. Time becomes as much his medium as film. So that even his own light is returned, turned out, in a new light. A photo from 1951 is placed alongside one from 1994 and a whole new register of mood and meaning is engaged. Nothing is ever “definitive” on this road”.
It is interesting to note that the writer Jack Kerouac and Frank were friends with Kerouac penning an introduction to the “The Americans: Robert Frank” as follows: ” That crazy feeling…with the agility, mystery, genius, sadness and strange secrecy of a shadow photographed scenes that have never been seen before on film”. To both Kerouac and Frank to live was to experience life at its fullest and to capture resilience at first hand.
For the final Reading week we were invited to elect work which was of particular relevance to our own practice. I elected the following and which I presented upon. Frank’s work has influenced the development of my own practice in embracing the challenge of presenting the element of resilience to be found in people and in celebrating that through his imagery. Through a series of photographs taken at engineering works and a factory premises, I have done this by linking with the sense of materiality at those sites and, in the case of the engineering plants, by using salvaged material from those sites to then print on. I also constructed a sculptural piece at Cross Engineering which was then shown at the Summer Show.
The exhibition “After the End of history: British Working Class photography from 1989-2024” at the Ffotogallery, Cardiff in October, 2025 as mentioned above had a significant impact on me in discovering new artists and in the presentation of the work itself. The following are ones whom I was particularly taken by and have researched further: Barbara Wosiak “Steel, street, synth and shutter” which is a booklet produced of her work. Richard Billingham (1970-) and the work “Ray’s a laugh” 1996 whose work is both gritty and tender. Sam Blackwood (1992-) and “The New Bridge Project”. The work is also often sculptural which makes it the more evocative. Rob Clayton and in particular the project “Life on the Lion Farm Estate, Oldbury, West Midlands” 1990 -1991 Joanne Coates “Daughters of the Soil”. Hannah Starkey (1971-) “In real life”
A visit to the exhibitions “Lives Less Ordinary” at 2, Temple Place and “The 80s’: Photographing Britain” at Tate Britain reinforced my intention to focus on the photographic image in my practice. I was struck by the powerful and evocative nature of works by the following whom I then researched: Corbin Shaw (1998-), Chila Kumara Singh Burman (1957-), Joan Eardley (1921-1963), Izabella Jedrzecjczyk, Jasleen Kaur (1986-), Mark Leckey (1964-), Rene Matic (1997-), Maganthi Patel (1924-2018), Charlie Phillips (1944-), Jo Spence (1934 -1992), Colin Jones (1936 - 2021) and Chris Killip (1946 - 2020).
Exhibition visit: National Museum of Wales, Viv Collis, “Gwaith Merched” (Women’s Work), which challenged perceptions of women’s work in Wales. From my own research into the factory and engineering plants of South Wales, it is clear that women have been actively involved in the workforce for generations. https://www.factorywomensvoices.wales
Exhibition visit: Bernd and Hilla Becher - “Industrial Visions” at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. The Bechers’ systematic documentation of industrial architecture, particularly their focus on water towers, gas tanks, and blast furnaces, resonates deeply with my own practice of documenting Welsh industrial sites. Their typological approach to photography has influenced how I consider the formal qualities of industrial structures (Becher B, Liesbrock H, Becher H and Josef-Albers-Museum, 2010, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Munich: Schirmer/Mosel).
The National Museum Wales also holds the “Factory Focus by The Guardian in Wales” newspaper archive, which provides valuable documentation of industrial life and labor in Welsh factories:
The UAL library and archive section (at LCC) contain a number of books and prints from the Colin Jones collection, which I have researched and viewed recently. Two books of particular interest being Grafters/Colin Jones and The Black House/Colin Jones. Jones himself has a very interesting history, having been born into a working-class family in the East End of London in 1936; he gained a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School. During his travels with the group, he took up photography as a hobby, initially photographing members of the group before taking it up full-time with advice from the influential Hungarian photographer Michael Peto (who had also visited Wales) and whom he had befriended. He had a real affinity and fascination for the “coal mines and the working class”, having visited the North of England and Wales (Ammanford: my home town) and took a series of beautiful images, not only of the mines and ship-building areas but also of the ballet dancers whose work ethic and resilience he very much admired. The images and quotes from Jones himself within the text contained within “The Black House” were taken over a four year period (1973-1976) at the Harambee project in the Holloway Road, Islington and provide a powerful insight into the lives of young black people at the time. In one section of the book Jones comments: ” …They talk a lot about home, family, identity. That’s what Brother Herman is trying to do - help these young people to find and know themselves”. The Michael Hoppen gallery in W11, West London houses a great many of these works being very supportive throughout his career. The “Nowness” episode on YouTube ” Colin Jones: Photographs from post War Britain to Mick Jagger” highlight Jones’s sense of humanity in capturing this essence of resilience. The episode was created by Frankie Carradona, a London based artist and visual storyteller. https://www.nowness.com
The work of Izabella Jedrzecjczyk in her series known as the “Jungle Portraits”, taken over a period of time at a public house in North Shields, Tyneside, and part of the “Amber Collective”, resonates with my own practice in capturing not only a sense of integrity but also humour and friendship/camaraderie. The book Striking Women: Communities and Coal/Photographs by Izabella Jedrzecjczk portrays how active women were during the miners’ strike of 1984-5.
I have greatly enjoyed researching the work of Chris Killip, a very influential photographer whose work bridges the gap between photography and metaphor. In 1989 he was commissioned by Pirelli UK to photograph the workforce at their tyre factory in Burton-on-Trent, and his series Seacoal and The Station clearly reveal his strong affection for people and in valuing their way of life. His work in black-and-white photography he terms as being “an abstraction of reality”, and the images resonate as a touchstone with memory and a sense of loss whilst also showing the trust and integrity of the process itself. https://www.chriskillip.com/in-memory
My own practice will now focus on three specific places of work in the Swansea and Gwendraeth valleys as referenced in my Artist’s statement. The destabilising effect of the Port Talbot steelworks has become relevant and I want to capture the direct influence upon them not only through photography but in documenting their thoughts about their future and what is important to them. The area itself is steeped in the history of the industrial revolution and I have also established good links with other sources, namely the tin plate, copper and lime firms all of which were major employers in the 20th century and earlier. I have also linked with the archive section of Swansea City and the library section at Pontarddulais who have very kindly permitted me to obtain some photographs from the early tin plate works. I have also contacted the National Museum of Wales regarding their archive section and visited their curatorial team. In doing so I was introduced to some enthralling work, most significantly the project “Voices from the Factory Floor”.
The third premises is the Corgi factory in Ammanford a company which has been in existence for well over a hundred years.
I have additionally taken a series of photographs (Support section of my practice) of the Lime firms in Cilrychen, Carmarthenshire where my grandfather and I worked. This site is no longer operational but having contacted the architect I was permitted access to what is a building of great historical interest and a Grade 2 listed building. This in turn led to a further opportunity of visiting an old tin-plate works in Kidwelly, which was the former site of Kidwelly Industrial Museum. This was the highlight of my summer in gaining access to a site which is no longer accessible to the public and set amidst an idyllic park setting consisting of 13 acres of land with various machinery from a bygone era.
I have also contacted Huw Alden Davies, artist and documentary photographer based in West Wales, whose books/works Scaffold to the Moon and Prince I very much admire. These are of a photo-book style and focus on a community and a sense of place, based around Tumble in the Gwendraeth valley, which is well known to me having grown up near to that area myself and where I recall playing rugby as a youth. The books are charged with a sense of reflection and humour and emphasise the importance of both. https://www.huwdaviesphotography.com
I contacted the Ffotogallery in Cardiff in relation to their archive material around the “Valleys Project” and subsequently attended the venue spending a really enjoyable afternoon with them, focusing on the work of: Peter Fraser, Marian Delyth, John Davies, Paul Reas, Mike Berry, Roger Tilley, Francesca Odell and David Bailey. Whilst there I was also privileged to be shown an archive collection relating to newspaper clippings from the Aberfan mining disaster. Viewing the material and reading the journalism really emphasised to me the power of print and its responsibility. One image in particular has stayed with me as a parent. https://www.ffotogallery.org
On visiting the Ffotogallery in Cardiff this October I again took the opportunity of researching their archives and in particular the highly evocative work of artists under the Valleys Project. Two artists in particular, Marian Delyth (1954-) and Francesca Odell (1951 - 2022) very much resonated with me in capturing the essence of life in the valleys over the last fifty years. Whilst their photographs are often of a challenging and political nature there is also great sensitivity and humour. I certainly intend in continuing with themes of a social nature through an anthropological lens and in incorporating the work directly within those environments and communities.
The work of Clementine Schneidermann and Charlotte James in the valleys has also resonated with me through their workshop delivery in the community and collaboration with the Jukebox Collective based in Cardiff. https://bleakfabulous.com https://jukeboxcollective.com
During the college summer break, I further consolidated my research in South Wales with further visits to the engineering plant on the outskirts of Swansea and also being introduced to another well-established, and one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of award-winning steel-framed buildings in Carmarthenshire. A number of photographs were taken by myself and these will also be utilised on returning to the workshops in September. A family business established in 1977 on a small industrial site on the outskirts of my home town of Ammanford providing a powerful example of that sense of resilience and productivity. I was very fortunate in being provided with a tour of the site and in speaking with the staff who clearly had considerable pride in their achievements, exemplified by the Chart which was displayed on the entrance to the Reception area.
The railway links were of course crucial to the development of industry in South Wales, and a few of the signal boxes still remain. I was fortunate in visiting two such sites which remain operational at the present but in the case of Ferryside, Carmarthenshire is due for closure in the near future. The signal box at Pantyffynon, Ammanford was where my father finished his working life having spent 50 years on the Railways and being awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the Railway. I visited him there many times as a boy and the signal box is exactly the same as it was 50 years ago with its levers and instruments.
I have recently discovered the work of artist/photographer Dave Lewis (1962-), who teaches on the visual anthropology programme at Goldsmiths University. Through his work he examines the relationship between identity and the environment and how they connect. This is certainly something in which I am interested in my own practice. His projects, “Chapter 6” in response to the murder of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993, “Wall” (2001), and “Fieldwork” (2010), I found particularly interesting. The latter being a project set in mid-Wales.
Future Directions: Collaborative Projects
Veins of the Valley - Collaboration with PhD Mathematics student Alfie Davies
This proposed art installation would transform the locations of disused coal tips in South Wales into a visual narrative using modified Travelling Salesman Problem algorithms and slime mould algorithms based on Physarum polycephalum.
The installation would consist of a topographical map of South Wales rendered in dark materials (such as recycled coal waste), where each disused coal tip would be marked. The points would be connected by thin lines of copper, following an optimised network grown by the aforementioned algorithms.
This approach not only captures the geography of these industrial remnants, but also evokes the organic veining of coal seams themselves. The installation could be augmented with subtle ambient audio featuring oral histories from mining communities, creating a multisensory experience that honours both the mathematical elegance of the algorithmic patterns and the human stories embedded in Wales’ industrial landscape.
Miners’ Welfare Institutes
Having met with, and maintained contact with architect Rob Firman whilst in Wales during a site visit I am also exploring an intended proposal of researching the Miners Welfare Halls in South Wales and particularly in the Ammanford, Brynaman and Ystradgynlais areas. These were large buildings established during the industrial era as educational and community centres for coal miners. Funded by contributions from the miners themselves and deducted from their wages they became integral to the process of self education and enlightenment. They were equipped with libraries, reading rooms and meeting spaces as well as billiards and often cinemas. Many became political hotbeds and where the National Health service was modelled upon. I would like to explore what their current uses are and engage with those who can recall them. In my visit to the Josef Herman Foundation in Ystradgynlais at the close of Unit 1 I spoke with a number of people who described them vividly. Many are well preserved and Grade 2 listed buildings.