The battle of Byker – Amber Collective/BBC Radio 4

There’s been a lot of coverage over recent months about the shock decision of the Arts Council not to continue revenue funding Newcastle’s renowned Side Gallery, run by Amber Collective, from March next year. An appeal process is underway but the folks who run the collective are looking for other sources of funding.
One of the many long-term social documentary projects carried out by Amber members is that of co-founder Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, which recently saw her return to the Newcastle estate of Byker with her camera 40 years after first living in and photographing the neighbourhood. The experience is the focus of a Radio 4 documentary, The Battle of Byker, which aired this morning and will be available for another week.