Pitman: The Exhibition

PITMAN: The Exhibition

To mark the 10th anniversary of Eliot Smith’s PITMAN, PITMAN: The Exhibition brings together ten new photographic interpretations of paintings and illustrations connected to the work, created with the kind permission of the Ashington Group Trustees.

Photographed at Woodhorn Museum by award-winning photographer John Lyons, each image captures a moment from one of the sections of PITMAN, creating a visual journey through the choreography while returning to the original inspiration of the Ashington Group, also known as the Pitmen Painters.

The exhibition creates a new dimension to this artistic legacy, from the original paintings, to dance, and now photography — offering audiences a unique insight into the visual world behind PITMAN and the North East mining communities, characters and everyday experiences that continue to inspire the work.

The exhibition will take place simultaneously across Alnwick Playhouse, Woodhorn Museum and Dance City from 26 October to 13 November 2026. Each venue will host the exhibition during this period, allowing audiences across the North East to experience the work.

The official launch of the exhibition will take place at Dance City on Monday 26 October 2026. This is the official launch event for the exhibition as a whole; the exhibition itself will be open and presented at all three venues from 26 October. This is a free event, more details at: www.eliotsmithdance.com/pitman-the-exhibition

The exhibition will also accompany the 2026 iteration of PITMAN at Alnwick Playhouse on 11 November, marking ten years since the work was first created. Tickets are now sale at: https://alnwickplayhouse.co.uk/event/eliot-smiths-pitman

Created by: Eliot Smith Dance Photography: John Lyons With the kind permission of: Ashington Group Trustees With thanks to: Woodhorn Museum | North East Museums, Alnwick Playhouse and Dance City Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.