Byker and Beyond w/ Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen (Lunchtime Talk)

Wed 13 Nov 2024 | 13:00-14:00
Level 1 Cinema

Photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen moved to Newcastle in 1969, having co-founded Amber Film & Photography Collective. Her work documents working people’s lives and the changing conditions in the North East over a remarkable period, with Byker, perhaps her best-known project, recognised as seminal by UNESCO. Originally an outsider like Franki Raffles, yet similarly embedded in a place and dealing with many of the same issues, for this talk, Konttinen reflects on her work and its impact — illustrated throughout by her photography.

Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, born in Finland, moved to London to study film in the late 1960s at the Polytechnic in Regent Street before moving to Newcastle. After Byker, her project Step by Step became a heavy influence in Lee Hall's development and writing for his play Dancer, which later became the cult coming-of-age film Billy Elliot.

More recently, three years of photographing the beach between Seaham and Hartlepool resulted in the series Coal Coast. Between 2003 and 2009, Konttinen returned to Byker and photographed its new residents in colour in Byker Revisited.

Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Tate and the UK Memory of the World Register.

This event is part of a series of free lunchtime talks by artists, activists, researchers and thinkers. We are also screening a series of films in our cinema on Wednesday evenings to further expand on themes of labour and feminism. See full programme here.

There is no charge to attend this event, and we encourage donation tickets. If you're unable to attend the event, we are unfortunately unable to refund your donation.

We want our events to be inclusive and accessible. Please email [email protected] to let us know about any requirements you have. Ahead of your visit, you can find out about Baltic's facilities and accessibility here.

Host or Publisher Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art