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Voices of Coal - immersive film installation at the Mining Museum

About this activity

Category: exhibitions, learning and interest. From 20th December to 1st March 2026
(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. The Museum reopens Friday 2 January)

Open: Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm. (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

Discover an immersive film installation rooted in memory and renewal by Debbie Harman.

Inspired by Kellingley Colliery, the UK’s last deep coal mine, it explores grief, legacy, and transformation in a post-coal world through film, sound, and virtual reality.

About the Artist, Debbie Harman: Growing up near Kellingley Colliery, its presence shaped my world; woven into the lives of family, friends, and the land itself. Even as a child, I sensed its rhythm. Later, I learned it was sinking, reclaimed by the earth. Its demolition felt symbolic: an ending, a return. Voices of Coal began with that image of sinking into geological time and human memory. The film weaves my personal story: my father and brother, both in the energy industry, connected through skill and legacy.

When my brother passed away in 2022, grief led me to reflect on presence, absence, and how memory lives on, not just in stories, but in the body. Movement became a way to honour him. Through motion, grief becomes visible, preserving presence in absence..

Contacts

National Coal Mining Museum

Caphouse Colliery New Road, Overton, Wakefield, WF4 4RH

01924 848806

Dates and venues

  • Wednesday 25 February 2026 - 10:00am - 4:00pm, Open Wednesday to Sunday from 20th December until 1st March 2026.(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. and Mondays and Tuesdays)
  • Thursday 26 February 2026 - 10:00am - 4:00pm, Open Wednesday to Sunday from 20th December until 1st March 2026.(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. and Mondays and Tuesdays)
  • Friday 27 February 2026 - 10:00am - 4:00pm, Open Wednesday to Sunday from 20th December until 1st March 2026.(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. and Mondays and Tuesdays)
  • Saturday 28 February 2026 - 10:00am - 4:00pm, Open Wednesday to Sunday from 20th December until 1st March 2026.(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. and Mondays and Tuesdays)
  • Sunday 1 March 2026 - 10:00am - 4:00pm, Open Wednesday to Sunday from 20th December until 1st March 2026.(*Closed 25 December - 1 January. and Mondays and Tuesdays)

Further information

Documents