Two photographers - Nick Hodgson and Roger Tiley - join us for an evening on social documentary photography with a focus on mining.

Nick Hodgson will discuss his new photobook, Free Mines Coal Faces, published by VIKA Books, 2022. Shot over the course of three years, Nick looks at the freeminers of the Forest of Dean, a tiny community mining small amounts of coal, which is sold to local residents. Freemining dates back to a 13th Century Royal Charter and to qualify, a freeminer must be born in the immediate area. However, potential future climate change legislation, together with low levels of local births, means today's coal freeminers could be the last generation.

Roger Tiley will discuss his experience photographing in the South Wales valleys in the 1980s, documenting the mining communities around the areas he grew up. This included documenting the 1984/85 miners' strike. When the miners returned to work, Roger continued to photograph the miners for a commission from Ffotogallery in Cardiff, as part of the Valleys Project. Roger has continued to photograph mining communities in the UK and USA throughout his 45 year long career in photography.