The Miner Birds: 40 years of Activism by The North Staffs Miners’ Wives Action Group

Monday 3 March until Friday 9 May 2025
Keele in Town, 53 Ironmarket, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle ST5 1PE.

The 1984 Miner’s Strike is etched in British history as a brutal battle waged by the government upon the working-class. We are all familiar with the media images that are synonymous with the strike, less so of the women who came out of the background so that frontline and sideline were one. The North Staffs Miners’ Wives Action Group, founded in 1985 as part of National Women Against Pit Closures, took their fight way beyond the coalfield, supporting causes across the country to highlight injustice and fight for workers’ rights. From singing to selling tapes, to rally speeches and protesting in solidarity with other marginalised groups, the group’s work was relentless with their 1993 Trentham Pit Occupation a moment in history that will never be forgotten.

Photographer Kevin Hayes has followed the group since 1985 and presents here a personal selection of 15 images to document some of the most notable experiences of the group’s campaigning and advocacy to mark International Women’s Day and commemorate 40years since the end of the miner’s strike. The images are accompanied by lines of script from the accompanying play ‘The Miner Birds’ by Lisa Blower – on at The New Vic, March 6th, 2025 – which relives these experiences through poetry, performance and song. We are also delighted to announce that the North Staffs Miners’ Wives archive – rare in its charting of these women’s stories entirely from their perspective – has become part of Keele University’s Special Collections and will be publicly accessible on a permission-only basis later in the year.

About Kevin Hayes

Kevin Hayes is a freelance social movement photographer based in the West Midlands. His work has involved covering labour and social movement struggles, community campaigns, cultural celebrations, and world music performers throughout the UK and in the Central American countries of El Salvador and Guatemala.

During the Great Miners’ Strike of 1984/5, he performed with Banner Theatre and was an active member of the Birmingham Miners’ Support Group. It was through this solidarity work he came across the North Staffs Miners Wives Action Group and established a friendship which has continued to the present day.

He is a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

How to visit

As of 3 March 2025, Keele in Town is open between Monday to Friday during the day.

Opening hours

Monday 12pm-4pm
Tuesday 10am-4pm
Wednesday 10am-4pm
Thursday 12pm-4pm
Friday 12pm-4pm

Free access