Song, Dance and Memory
About The Project
Dance and movement artist, Amanda Drago, delivered a six month programme of of folk song and seated dance workshops as part of the Land of Lead and Silver project’s 2025 community arts programme. The workshops engaged a group of around ten women aged 70-90, many with dementia or health conditions, from the Alston Ladies Social Group, and were supported by musician and choir leaders, Lindsay Hannon, and musician/sound engineer, Kit Haigh.
Traditional folk songs from the North Pennines relating to lead mining and the lives of lead miners were researched, selected and arranged to be taught by ear, with five songs recorded by Kit for use in the movement sessions at tempos suitable for folk dance. The songs included rarely heard songs and poems ‘Four pence a day’, ‘Bonny moorhen’ Allenhead's Lullaby, 'Black Leg Mining Man' and ‘Meet me Molly’
From April to September 2025, women aged between 70 and 90 took part in monthly singing and movement sessions, learning songs, co-writing new lyrics, sharing memories and co-creating accessible seated dances inspired by English folk traditions. Visual resources supported discussion around local mining history, with participants recalling lived experiences of mining communities, mine closures and folk dancing in their youth. Over time, the group developed a shared repertoire of songs and dances rooted in place, memory and creativity.
“We’ve taken it quite seriously as a rehearsal – we’ve gone back over lyrics, we’ve changed lyrics where we’ve needed to, we’ve looked at the key of certain things so we could all engage as best as possible with the music.” Lindsay Hannon
“Dancing is a sociable pastime and, actually, dancing in a group is fun. That’s what they want to do … be engaged and enthused about their day, having done something enlightening and creative.” Amanda Drago
“The thing is you don’t realise how good it is until you get here. Going home at night I felt so much happier. I’m in the annex so I have got my family next door. I just go and tell them everything and they think it's great for me.”
“Oh it’s great fun, the exercises, the dancing, the singing, especially the singing and I always sang in a choir when I was young. I’ve always enjoyed singing.”
“Coming to the sessions made me feel so much happier, so much happier and fit.”
The project was documented through photography and film, with the resulting recordings, images and songs presented in a Community Exhibition at Bowlees Visitor Centre and later installed at Alston Hospital to ensure participants could experience the final outcomes locally.
Documentary film by Ben Holden
Funders & Partners
The project would not have been possible without the support of the staff and volunteers at Alston Medical Practice and Alston Community Hospital.
The event was part of the Land of Lead and Silver project, run by the North Pennines National Landscape team and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and Historic England. The project aims to discover stories and features from the lead and silver mining history of the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark and offers opportunities for people to get involved.
The Creative Team
Creative Producer / Dance Artist - Amanda Drago
Choir Leader / Musician - Lindsday Hannon
Sound Engineer / Musician - Kit Haigh
Film Maker - Ben Holden
