{"id":9162,"date":"2020-06-10T21:05:32","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T20:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/?p=9162"},"modified":"2023-04-20T16:23:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T15:23:54","slug":"esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;In the Shadow of the Beast&#8217;: Esther Johnson discusses working with Dennis Skinner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>In the Shadow of the Beast<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>by Esther Johnson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201c1970. I got elected, and six o\u2019clock the day after I went [back] to work down the pit. I didn\u2019t have two ha\u2019pennies to rub together. I hadn\u2019t got a bank account. I hadn\u2019t got a car. We hadn&#8217;t any money. I went to work because I didn\u2019t know when I was going to get paid in Parliament.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Dennis Skinner<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9172\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9172\" data-attachment-id=\"9172\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/9-a_role_to_play-bolsover_tree\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?fit=1851%2C1053&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1851,1053\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?fit=860%2C490&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9172\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree-1024x583.jpg?resize=860%2C490&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?resize=1024%2C583&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?resize=400%2C228&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?resize=768%2C437&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?w=1851&amp;ssl=1 1851w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/9.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Tree.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9172\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I first met Dennis Skinner at Bolsover Library a few years back, during one of the Friday \u2018surgery\u2019 slots he held as an MP for the town from 1970 to 2019. I\u2019d witnessed him deliver captivating speeches at both the Durham Miners\u2019 Gala, and \u2018With Banners Held High\u2019 in Wakefield, rousing audience members to tears.<\/p>\n<p>An adept storyteller, he told me about his life growing up in Bolsover, his parents, knitting and making \u2018peggy\u2019 rugs, working in the pits and later in Parliament, and finished by singing me his favourite songs from musicals.<\/p>\n<p>I filmed Dennis as part of my contribution to WORK, a collaborative artist film commission between five arts organizations (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnimateProjects\">Animate Projects<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Fermynwoods\">Fermynwoods Contemporary Art<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JunctionArtsUK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Junction Arts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derbyquad\">Quad<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VIVID_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vivid Projects<\/a>) and four artists (Dryden Goodwin, Jenny Holt, Adam Lewis Jacob, and myself). The four commissioned films explore ideas of what work means for the way we live today, and engage directly with the experiences of contemporary working lives. The completed film <a href=\"http:\/\/workprojects.org.uk\/a-role-to-play\">premiered online on 1 May 2020<\/a> to mark International Workers&#8217; Day.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9165\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9165\" data-attachment-id=\"9165\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/2-a_role_to_play-dennis_skinner\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9165\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner-1024x576.jpg?resize=860%2C484&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/2.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9165\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>My contribution to WORK is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blanchepictures.com\/a-role-to-play\/\">a ROLE to PLAY<\/a>. In researching for this film\u00a0I looked at contemporary working lives in post-industrial Bolsover, a town where coal is no longer king. Made in direct response to the increasing numbers of unemployment and zero-hours contracts, the film explores the realities and struggles that some residents of Bolsover have encountered in getting and keeping work. It also integrates the unique topography and layered history of the area, and looks at the aftermath of the destruction of Bolsover\u2019s rich mining heritage. Themes include positive\/negative work experiences, volunteering, lack of work, zero-hours contracts, unemployment, and the barrier that low reading and writing skills can have on work. Throughout the making, I thought about the effect of national politics on the local, and about what political and economic strategies mean for the people\u00a0on the ground. The inclusion of Dennis helped to connect these two aspects.<\/p>\n<p>Over two years, and with support of partner <a href=\"https:\/\/junctionarts.org\/\">Junction Arts<\/a>, I was able to make multiple visits to community members in Bolsover. Lasting connections were fostered through a meeting with Mark North, founder of the Bolsover <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcgroup.org.uk\/\">Freedom Community Project<\/a>. Set up in 2008, Freedom is driven by a need to combat poverty and support and enable local people to make changes in their own lives. Dennis had sung the praises of this local charity and its small team of staff and volunteers, who run support centres across the North East Midlands and Yorkshire. I gradually got to know volunteers, staff members, and users connected to Freedom, and saw the wealth of support they offered through job searches and employment advice, skills training, food banks, clothing and furniture, household provision, counselling for mental health and addiction, activities to build self-esteem, financial support, and money management. After spending many Friday mornings at the centre caf\u00e9, helping with the food bank and talking with people about their experiences in work, I became involved in one of the centre\u2019s support groups: Bolsover Reading Group, and adult literacy class. I\u2019ve now been volunteering with the group for 15 months.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9167\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9167\" data-attachment-id=\"9167\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/4-a_role_to_play-stephen\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9167\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen-1024x576.jpg?resize=860%2C484&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/4.A_Role_To_Play-Stephen.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9167\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In addition to the voice of ex-miner and trade unionist Dennis Skinner, a ROLE to PLAY features the lived experiences and dreams of five Bolsover residents. After Dennis, the first strong connection made was with Stephen Cotton. Originally a Freedom project user, he later became a volunteer and now an employee of the centre. Stephen is also a class member at the reading group. In late 2018 Stephen and I went to London, where Dennis gave us a tour of the Houses of Parliament. Stephen discussed issues he felt were important in his local community, and the struggles he and his family had experienced: \u201cJobs have come and gone. I\u2019ve just got on with it. One job, I had to sort trays out of millions of screws. All day just doing that. That was the most boring job. But the hardest thing is getting the job in the first place.\u201d Going on to talk about volunteering, \u201cWe literally lost everything. No money. No gas. No electric. Somebody helped us when we needed help most, out of their own pocket and they didn\u2019t want anything in return. I thought if somebody could do that I could do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9169\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9169\" data-attachment-id=\"9169\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/6-a_role_to_play-jeanette\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9169\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette-1024x576.jpg?resize=860%2C484&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/6.A_Role_To_Play-Jeanette.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After retiring from primary school teaching, Jeanette Haigh started to volunteer at the Freedom Centre. \u201cI did coffee mornings, chatted to folk, made cakes \u2026 [Freedom] give advice, and support and help anybody. Nobody\u2019s turned away. Nobody is judged. It\u2019s all about looking after each other.\u201d She went on to tell me the origins of the reading group that was formed seven years ago. \u201cA lovely young man called Stephen was so upset, and I said, \u201cWhatever\u2019s the matter?\u201d He sounded very distressed and he said, \u201cThey stopped my reading class at college.\u201d The next week we started an adult literacy class. Stephen couldn\u2019t write his name at first, but now he\u2019s like the reading group\u2019s father of the house.\u201d Many members of the reading group have struggled with gaining employment due to their literacy level, whilst others had been extremely skilful in hiding their minimal reading and writing in order to hold jobs down.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9170\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9170\" data-attachment-id=\"9170\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/7-a_role_to_play-bolsover_milestone\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9170\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone-400x225.jpg?resize=400%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/7.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Milestone.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9170\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another volunteer and user at Freedom is Adrian Drury. He told me about his varied working life and experience of zero-hours contracts, \u201cI\u2019ve been a spray painter, [worked] on building sites, a slaughterhouse man, a warehouse assistant, and now I\u2019m wanting to get into tattooing. Any job that you get will make you feel a worthy person anyway, you\u2019re not there doing nothing. It also does make you feel wanted by society. There are jobs but conditions are poor, \u2013 twelve-hour shifts, four on, four off, then nothing.\u201d A guitarist and artist, Adrian is now training to be a tattoo artist, \u201cI got a really good grade at art. I got good grades through school, to be honest, so I don\u2019t know why I couldn\u2019t really get a proper job, you know, a good job. I\u2019ve got something more now. I\u2019ve got an apprenticeship in tattooing. I\u2019ve got something to shoot for.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9166\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9166\" data-attachment-id=\"9166\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/3-a_role_to_play-serena\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9166\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena-400x225.jpg?resize=400%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/3.A_Role_To_Play-Serena.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9166\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Finally I met Serena Hammond through her mum Linda, also a reading group member. Serena has been a carer for her mum since she was 14. Work comes in many forms and Serena\u2019s teenage care responsibilities have contributed to her resilience and determination to follow her dream of acting. \u201cI was fed up of being in the shadows, but had no idea where to begin. My grades weren\u2019t good but I made the decision to try and get into the college.\u201d Serena is now completing her second year at performing arts college.<\/p>\n<p>In the film the participants&#8217; storytelling is privileged over the question\u2013answer scenario of traditional documentary. Inspired by methods from radical and documentary theatre, the film script developed through a series of recorded and transcribed conversations that were then edited and returned to the respective contributors to refine for inclusion in the film. This iterative approach condensed experience and emotion into the key issues important to each contributor. The film title was chosen to reflect this participatory process, and also the roles everyone takes in their working and non-working lives.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9176\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9176\" data-attachment-id=\"9176\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-blog-dennis-skinner\/13-a_role_to_play-bolsover_castle-interior_tapestry\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?fit=860%2C484&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9176\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry-1024x576.jpg?resize=860%2C484&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/13.A_Role_To_Play-Bolsover_Castle-Interior_Tapestry.jpg?w=1720 1720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Esther Johnson 2019<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Strong relationships have been forged during the making of the film, from discussions fuelled by tea and cake, to walks around Bolsover, including the sites of former pits, and reading group visits to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Bolsover Castle. I continue to volunteer with the reading group, and weekly group video call classes take place during the current lockdown. I have produced a newspaper, \u2018Class Work Tribune\u2019, which features work by the reading group, material from the film, and a newly commissioned poem by Ian McMillan, <a href=\"http:\/\/workprojects.org.uk\/here-are-the-words-in-the-reading-bank\">Here are the Words\u00a0 in the Reading Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/workprojects.org.uk\/a-role-to-play\/\">a ROLE to PLAY<\/a> premiered on 1 May 2020 <a href=\"http:\/\/workprojects.co.uk\/\">http:\/\/workprojects.co.uk<\/a> accompanied by a live artist Q&amp;A. Further information on the film can be found on Esther\u2019s website here: <a href=\"http:\/\/blanchepictures.com\/a-role-to-play\">http:\/\/blanchepictures.com\/a-role-to-play<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This text originally appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tribunemagazine\">Tribune<\/a> on International Workers Day, 01 May 2020: https:\/\/tribunemag.co.uk\/2020\/05\/in-the-shadow-of-the-beast<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Esther Johnson is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shu.ac.uk\/about-us\/our-people\/staff-profiles\/esther-johnson\">Professor of Film &amp; Media Arts<\/a> at Sheffield Hallam University. Follow Esther on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlanchePictures\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/blanche_pictures\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Shadow of the Beast by Esther Johnson \u201c1970. I got elected, and six o\u2019clock the day after I went [back] to work down the pit. I didn\u2019t have two ha\u2019pennies to rub together. I hadn\u2019t got a bank account. I hadn\u2019t got a car. We hadn&#8217;t any money. I went to work because I didn\u2019t know when I [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8633,"featured_media":9164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[5,1550,1542,1548,1543,1159,1547,1551,431,1545,140,1541,1546,773,1544,234,1358,1549],"class_list":["post-9162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-researcher-blog","tag-art-and-design-research-centre","tag-animate","tag-artist-film","tag-blanchepictures","tag-bolsover","tag-co-creation","tag-community","tag-dennis-skinner","tag-documentary","tag-economy","tag-esther-johnson","tag-film","tag-mining","tag-oral-history","tag-participatory","tag-post-industrial","tag-work","tag-workprojects"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2020\/06\/0.A_Role_To_Play-Dennis_Skinner-Lead_Image.jpg?fit=890%2C290&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8oFHo-2nM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10137,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/a-role-to-play-screens-at-the-67-the-international-short-film-festival-oberhausen\/","url_meta":{"origin":9162,"position":0},"title":"&#8216;a ROLE to PLAY&#8217; screens at the 67 The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen","author":"Phoebe Bolton","date":"12\/05\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A film shot in Bolsover by\u00a0Esther Johnson, Professor of Film and Media Arts, screened on Saturday 8th May at the prestigious\u00a0International Short Film Festival Oberhausen\u00a0@kurzfilmoberhausen, Germany, one of the oldest short film festivals in the world. The film is distributed by\u00a0ARGOS Centre for art and media\u00a0in Brussels\u00a0@argos_arts\u00a0and will screen in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2021\/05\/Photo-27-04-2021-22-01-42.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2021\/05\/Photo-27-04-2021-22-01-42.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2021\/05\/Photo-27-04-2021-22-01-42.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2021\/05\/Photo-27-04-2021-22-01-42.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10992,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/professor-esther-johnsons-a-role-to-play-to-screen-at-vivid-projects-in-birmingham-19th-21st-may\/","url_meta":{"origin":9162,"position":1},"title":"Professor Esther Johnson&#8217;s &#8216;a ROLE to PLAY&#8217; to screen at VIVID Projects in Birmingham, 19th &#8211; 21st May","author":"Phoebe Bolton","date":"16\/05\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A powerful short film\u00a0by\u00a0Professor\u00a0Esther Johnson\u00a0titled\u00a0a ROLE to PLAY\u00a0will screen at\u00a0VIVID projects\u00a0in Birmingham for the\u00a0PUT PEOPLE FIRST\u00a0programme that shares stories of contemporary workers struggles. a ROLE to PLAY\u00a0(2019) was co-commissioned by\u00a0Animate Projects\u00a0and\u00a0Junction Arts\u00a0as part of the\u00a0WORK\u00a0project. The film tells stories of the impact of economic changes in post-industrial Bolsover, a Derbyshire\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2022\/05\/a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Dennis-Serena-e1652706158418.jpg?fit=1200%2C411&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2022\/05\/a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Dennis-Serena-e1652706158418.jpg?fit=1200%2C411&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2022\/05\/a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Dennis-Serena-e1652706158418.jpg?fit=1200%2C411&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2022\/05\/a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Dennis-Serena-e1652706158418.jpg?fit=1200%2C411&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2022\/05\/a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Dennis-Serena-e1652706158418.jpg?fit=1200%2C411&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8228,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/esther-johnson-role-to-play-quad-derby\/","url_meta":{"origin":9162,"position":2},"title":"&#8216;a ROLE to PLAY&#8217; &#8211; Professor Esther Johnson&#8217;s new artist film premieres on Thursday 28 November 2019","author":"Ian Braddick","date":"25\/11\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"a ROLE to PLAY Professor Esther Johnson\u2019s new artist film a ROLE to PLAY will premiere this Thursday 28th November 18:30 at QUAD in Derby. The screening is free and you can book HERE. Working with adult literacy group members, food bank users and volunteers connected to Freedom Community Project,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/category\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a ROLE to PLAY banner by Esther Johnson","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2019\/11\/2019-11-JOHNSON-Esther-a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Quad-Derby-banner.jpg?fit=888%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2019\/11\/2019-11-JOHNSON-Esther-a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Quad-Derby-banner.jpg?fit=888%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2019\/11\/2019-11-JOHNSON-Esther-a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Quad-Derby-banner.jpg?fit=888%2C288&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/files\/2019\/11\/2019-11-JOHNSON-Esther-a-ROLE-to-PLAY-Quad-Derby-banner.jpg?fit=888%2C288&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9772,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/c3riimpact\/dust-metal-esther-johnson-bc-fund\/","url_meta":{"origin":9162,"position":3},"title":"&#8216;Dust &amp; Metal&#8217; &#8211; Professor Esther Johnson awarded British Council&#8217;s Digital Collaboration Fund","author":"Ian Braddick","date":"22\/01\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Update The great news that\u00a0Dust & Metal has been awarded the Digital Collaboration Fund has been covered by international film industry news resource Screen Daily. Click here to find out more. 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