Streic! 84-85 Strike! brings to life the story of the Miners’ Strike

A major new exhibition which brings to life the story of the Miners’ Strike and the profound impact it had on Wales has opened at National Museum Cardiff.

It’s been over 40 years since 22,000 Welsh miners downed tools and walked out of pits across Wales in protest at the National Coal Board’s plans to close twenty coal mines across the UK.

The 84-85 Miners’ Strike lasted 12 brutal months, fostering unprecedented solidarity and political awakening in Wales. The human cost was immense: families suffered hardship, communities were divided, and the mining industry’s decline continued.

Amgueddfa Cymru

Amgueddfa Cymru’s latest exhibition, Streic! 84-85 Strike!, brings this era to life – sharing the experience of what life was like for the families whose husbands, fathers, brothers and sons stood in solidarity on the picket line and follows the politics, passion and protest of a turbulent year for communities in Wales.

The exhibition also looks at impact the strike had on those not involved on the picket line – including the efforts of the women who created supplies to keep families going through the year-long struggle. The exhibition also shows us what the era was like for children, especially during Christmas 1984.

From personal photos and handmade protest banners to touching stories of comradeship, loss and hope, the exhibition recounts a year that permanently changed the social, political and geographical landscape of Wales. It chronologically takes visitors through seasons of politics, passion and protest – from the summer of hope and high-spirited defiance to a winter of violence, hardship and loss of livelihoods.

Exhibits and images from Streic! 84-85 Strike!

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Streic! 84-85 Strike! is curated by Senior Coal Curator of Big Pit Museum, Ceri Thompson. Ceri himself was a miner in his early 30s during the strike years.

Ceri Thompson said: “Amgueddfa Cymru’s latest exhibition brings to life the story of the year when we went head-to-head with the government.

“At the heart of the dispute was a fight to stop pit closures and save jobs. It was a tough year but also a year that saw immense tightening of communities, of families doing everything they could survive, and people outside of the mining communities fighting side by side with the Miners for a fair deal.

“I’m thrilled to bring the stories representing miners, families, support groups, the police and politicians behind the Miners’ Strike to life in this exhibition on such an important anniversary year.”

Key items from Streic! 84-85 Strike! include personal photos, quarter scale replica headgear; colliery roof supports; Miners work kit including lamps and badges; strike communications materials such as flyers and placards, cultural memorabilia including items from the Pits and Perverts concert, and a model of Oakdale Colliery.

Photographers

The exhibition also features photographs taken by three photographers from different perspectives. One of the photographers featured in the exhibition is Richard Williams who worked as a press photographer at the time.

Richard Williams said: “It was an extreme time, with emotions and passions running high, which was very understandable as defeat meant communities would change forever… I was also there for the end and afterwards as miners returned and most traces of the industry began to disappear.

“As a professional freelance photographer covering Wales, I’m delighted and honoured to have my pictures on display in the National Museum as part of such an important exhibition. These images add to the stories of our history and I hope they’ll appeal to younger generations as well as those of us who have vivid memories of the strike.”

Art of the Selfie

Streic! 84-85! Strike! is Amgueddfa Cymru’s latest exhibition. The Valleys, which opened in May 2024 and The Art of the Selfie – which opened in March 2024 will both also remain open at National Museum Cardiff until January 2025.

Amgueddfa Cymru’s Director of Collections and Research, Dr Kath Davies, said: “The ’84-85 Miners’ Strike fostered unprecedented solidarity and political awakening in Wales. The human cost was immense: families suffered hardship, communities divided, and the mining industry’s decline continued. We are proud to introduce this moving exhibition which recounts a momentous year that permanently changed the social, political and geographical landscape of Wales.”

Streic ’84-85 Strike runs until 27 April 2025.
To make this exhibition accessible to everyone, visitors are asked to Pay What You Can. This means that, instead of a fixed ticket price, visitors can choose to pay an amount that suits their circumstance best. The museum suggests £10 for an exhibition of this nature and scale, but any amount paid, from the minimum of £3, means the museum can create new, inspiring ways for people to come and enjoy the national collection.