Industrial And Transport

The Big K – The Pit That Shaped a Community

The Big K – The Pit That Shaped a Community, is a creative heritage film project developed in partnership with former coal miners and families from Kellingley Colliery, the UK’s last deep coal mine. Marking a decade since its closure, the film captures the voices of those who lived through this pivotal moment, some now volunteers and guides at the National Coal Mining Museum, others based across Wakefield. It reflects on the mine’s legacy and its enduring impact on the community. By sharing short clips on social media, the project aims to engage younger audiences, helping them explore how coal, community, and resilience shaped Wakefield’s identity. Aligned with Wakefield’s Heritage Framework: Our Heritage, Our Stories, the project uplifts working-class narratives, promotes community storytelling, uses heritage to foster identity, inclusion, and belonging. Public screenings invite viewers to reflect, respond, and share their own memories, deepening connections to the region’s mining heritage.