Teesside Soundings

In June, 2025 an invited group including former steelworkers, apprentices, students, and community partners gathered at the remains of the Redcar blast furnace on Teesworks, a site chosen by one of the participants. 

The dormant Redcar blast furnace was demolished in 2022. It had been closed in 2015 with the loss of around 2000 jobs, and the demolition of the last blast furnace in Teesside was a symbolic moment. Our first community gong sounding was held by the blast furnace remains on the vast Teesworks site which was being remediated for new industry investments. The remains – the hard to remove casing of iron – were left after the 2022 demolition, a (relatively) small but stubborn material reminder of the steel history of the former Redcar Steelworks site.

Several of our participants had worked on this site or had a close connection with it. Emotional connections thread through their accounts, from discussions and interviews, and are illustrated by some of the quotes in our exhibition materials.

Hosted by Teesworks Skills Academy
Additional Sound Recording by George Rogers