A TURNER Prize-winning artist’s exhibition showcasing the devastating effects of The Battle of Orgreave is heading to Worcester.
Worcester Art Gallery and Museum will host Jeremy Deller’s free exhibit from this Saturday (September 17) to Saturday, November 26, in partnership with Museums Worcestershire and the Tate.
In 1984, police and pickets clashed at the Orgreave coking plant in Yorkshire over strikes and Mr Deller’s iconic re-enactment of the battle in 2001, saw more than 800 people, including former miners and policemen, reliving the events from which they themselves took part in.
The Battle of Orgreave is particularly relevant to Worcester because Mr Deller compared the confrontation at Orgreave during the ‘Miner’s Strike’ of 1984, to the English Civil War, which was a conflict that began and ended in Worcester.
The exhibition includes a documentary film directed by Mike Figgis, alongside objects, images and audio recordings from the artist’s archive of research materials for the re-enactment of the battle.
Mr Deller said: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that the strike, like a civil war, had a traumatically divisive effect at all levels of life in the UK. Families were torn apart because of divided loyalties.”
Philippa Tinsley, senior curator at Museums Worcestershire, said: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to bring this nationally significant artwork by a major contemporary artist to Worcester.”
The exhibit will be open from 10.30am to 4.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays.
Visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk for more information.
