Tish is a tender portrait of Tish Murtha (1956–2013), a woman photographer from South Shields, whose work has been marginalised by dominant histories. Challenging the socio-economic inequalities of 1970s-80s Thatcher’s Britain, Tish’s political and intimate images chronicled the precarious and beautiful lives of the working class Tyneside communities she knew. In this documentary, the artist’s daughter, Ella Murtha, shines a light on the importance of Tish’s photographs, archive, and legacy; questions why Tish’s work has not received the critical attention it deserves.

For this two-part event, Tish will be screened in the SVA bar followed by a discussion with the curators, a local collective of visual practitioners (Hatty Frances Bell, Alice Butler, Anna Gormley, and Kelly O’Brien) working with expanded photography, film, and writing.

Afterwards, join the collective in the gallery, where a collection of works (and works-in-progress) made in response to the film and Tish’s life and practice will be shown. For this flash residency, Bell, Butler, Gormley, and O’Brien will activate the space with images, writings, interventions, and conversations.

The screening in the bar is tier-ticketed – with a free option available – and the gallery will be open to all.

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£8 (pay it forward)

£6 (standard)

£4 (low income/cost of living affected)