Whilst much has been documented of the long mining and industrial heritage of the North East and its legacy, little has been gathered about today’s way of life for those working for modern day manufacturing organisations like Nissan.
To redress this balance, I worked with writer and audio artist Rachel Cochrane to explore how Nissan has impacted the lives of people in the region, to create a present-day snapshot of the effect of 30 years of Nissan in the North East. The result is a collection of photography, film, writing and spoken word that gives the stories of the people behind the machines.
Whilst taking portraits of factory-floor employees, we asked them simply “What does working at Nissan mean to you?” Their answers are presented underneath the portraits and give an insight into the value that Nissan has brought to the region and its people.
Images of the factory are paired with text that hints at the wider implications of having a job at Nissan and also the connection with the North East’s long industrial heritage.
This project was funded by the Arts Council England and was shown across the North East in 4 different galleries. A selection of images from the project were also shown at the Side Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, as part of their Work and Workers exhibition.