Film Screening: Tish

Join us for a free community film screening of Tish at Barnsley Civic!

Thursday 4th July

6pm–7.30pm (arrivals welcome from 5.45pm)

Barnsley Civic

Tish

A film by Paul Sng

BBFC Feature: 15 / BBFC Trailer: 12A

Documentary | English | 90 mins

Starring Tish Murtha, Ella Murtha

Narrated by Maxine Peake

About Tish Murtha

Tish Murtha was a visionary photographer committed to documenting the struggle and inequality of the working-class communities that framed her upbringing. Her archive of work from Northeast England and London’s Soho in the 1970s and 1980s is lovingly realised in this exploration of the legacy of her work and private life by her daughter, Ella Murtha.

Tish Murtha’s photography of people on the margins of society in Thatcher’s Britain challenged inequality, yet she was unable to escape the poverty she documented and died aged 56, her work relatively unknown. TISH follows her daughter revisiting key images and moments in her mother’s life to establish her legacy.

Film Synopsis

As a working class photographer from the North East, Tish felt an obligation to the people and problems within her local environment, and used documentary photography to highlight and challenge the social disadvantages she herself suffered. Unlike many social documentary photographers, Tish was from the same streets as the people she photographed, lending a poignant intimacy to her stark yet tender black and white images. However, despite early acclaim for her work, she was unable to make a living from photography and was unable to escape the poverty she documented. She died aged 56, her work relatively unknown.

Tish’s brilliant eye, her unswerving ethics and constant empathy are present in her images, yet little is known of the artist herself. In this feature documentary we follow Tish’s daughter, Ella, as she opens up her mother’s archive for the first time on screen to reveal a treasure trove of unseen images, artefacts, letters and diaries. Ella takes to the road to meet people who knew Tish and ask why she did not receive more recognition in her lifetime.

In digging into the past, Ella comes to terms with her own grief at her mother’s passing and reconnects with family members not seen in years. By shining a light on a working class artist who went largely unrecognised in her lifetime, the documentary questions the value placed on working class people both in the past and present day.

Barnsley Photo Collective

This film screening is brought to you by Barnsley Photo Collective, a new local photography network that celebrates grassroots image makers in Barnsley - part of Photoworks' Photography Champions Programme.

Photography Champions is a national initiative led by Photoworks, supported by public funding through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio.

For any questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

Hope to see you there - everyone is welcome!

Host or Publisher Photoworks