Image credit: Benjamin Gilbert

By KLTV Newsdesk –

£145,000 Arts Council England funding backs vibrant fusion of mining heritage, digital art and community storytelling

The National Coal Mining Museum for England has announced a bold new partnership with celebrated artist Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE, following his successful bid to secure £145,000 in funding from Arts Council England.

The collaboration will lead to a landmark year-long project culminating in the creation of a permanent, interactive tapestry inspired by the museum’s historic collection of coal mining union banners.

Deeply personal to Jason, the banners stir vivid memories of his childhood visits to the Wakefield Miners’ Gala in the 1970s, making the commission especially poignant.

A Fusion of Tradition and Technology

Scheduled for public display in early 2026, the tapestry will be crafted in partnership with Flanders Tapestry, a prestigious Belgian workshop known for producing works by major artists including Grayson Perry and Damien Hirst.

This marks Jason’s first foray into tapestry making and one of his largest commissions outside of London.

In a UK first, the tapestry will combine traditional weaving techniques with cutting-edge digital interactivity, incorporating film, animation, and audio to bring mining heritage to life for new generations.

Giant Sculptures and Immersive Media

Complementing the tapestry will be two monumental 20-foot inflatable sculptures embedded with interactive LED lighting, alongside immersive digital film content created in partnership with Hot Knife Digital Media.

These striking contemporary works will be exhibited within the museum’s gallery spaces, sitting in dynamic contrast to the museum’s industrial collections.

Importantly, the project will also include three national artist residencies for disabled artists, helping to ensure inclusion and representation at every level.

Community Stories at the Heart of the Project

At the core of the project is a drive to engage communities across the UK, particularly former mining families and disability groups, through a series of workshops designed to collect and share stories from the coalfields.

These tales of resilience, humour, pride and working-class strength will be woven into the final works, ensuring that local voices shape the project’s narrative.

Three replicas of the tapestry will also tour the UK alongside partner organisations, widening access and sharing the rich history of mining communities with audiences nationwide.

A Lasting Legacy for Working-Class Heritage

The project represents an ambitious and inclusive celebration of working-class culture and creativity, a series of exciting firsts for both Jason and the National Coal Mining Museum.

Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE said: “I am so pleased and proud to announce that Arts Council England is funding my new commission and touring exhibition, which will be centred around and in partnership with the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.

“My dad was a coal miner, my granddad was a coal miner, and that coal dust is in my DNA. I grew up with stories of life underground, so it is a pleasure to bring some of those stories to life through ‘Jason & the Underground Mining Adventure’, which will see me create ambitious new work, with international creative partners.

“I will design and make my first tapestry, which will then be exhibited at the museum, as well as touring to other prestigious venues around the country.

“I will also be working with Hot Knife Digital Media to create an interactive animated film experience, which will tell the stories of the mining communities, along with new sculptures.

“This project will see me being able to fund commissions for disabled artists from these areas also, which is absolutely wonderful.”

An Honour

Lynn Dunning, CEO of the National Coal Mining Museum, added: “What an honour it is for the National Coal Mining Museum to be working with an artist of Jason’s calibre.

“His art is engaging, inspirational and totally dynamic. Telling the stories of people and communities in a way that leaves a lasting impression.

“The history of coal is deeply embedded in towns and cities across the UK, and it is important that we reach out and give people a platform to share their precious memories.

“Never before will the history of coal be told in such a way, and we are incredibly grateful to Arts Council England and to Jason for giving us this important opportunity.”