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'NO JOBS AND NO HOPE’

The bleak black and white photos of Newcastle’s young in 1981 that sparked an urgent debate in Parliament

Photographer Tish Murtha's powerful images of the city's derelict West End

THESE are the extraordinary images of Newcastle’s youth from almost 40 years ago that revealed the startling effects of mass unemployment in a deprived part of the city.

The black-and-white collection was captured by photographer Tish Murtha and was so thought-provoking that it sparked a debate in Parliament.

A group of youths sit around in rubble in a derelict part of Newcastle nearly 40 years ago
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A group of youths sit around in rubble in a derelict part of Newcastle nearly 40 years agoCredit: Tish Murtha
A boy rests his head in his hands as he sits among rubble in the West End part of Newcastle
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A boy rests his head in his hands as he sits among rubble in the West End part of NewcastleCredit: Tish Murtha
Two youngsters lounge on a bench in the city next to two old women
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Two youngsters lounge on a bench in the city next to two old womenCredit: Tish Murtha

includes young boys and girls playing and sitting around in the West End of Newcastle, an area which had more than double the city’s overall unemployment rate.

One striking photograph shows a boy leaping from an upper window on the second storey of a derelict house onto a pile of old mattresses.

Other images show teenagers hanging out on benches or lying on abandoned furniture in rundown parts of town surrounded by rubble.

Photographer Tish Murtha's dossier of images of young boys and girls playing on dumped furniture in the city
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Photographer Tish Murtha's dossier of images of young boys and girls playing on dumped furniture in the cityCredit: Tish Murtha
Tish's thought-provoking collection was created with the aim of highlighting the issue unemployment had in her home town
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Tish's thought-provoking collection was created with the aim of highlighting the issue unemployment had in her home townCredit: Tish Murtha
This image shows a boy leaping from an upper window of a derelict house onto a pile of old mattresses
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This image shows a boy leaping from an upper window of a derelict house onto a pile of old mattressesCredit: Tish Murtha
Two men gather round a pay phone covered in graffiti
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Two men gather round a pay phone covered in graffitiCredit: Tish Murtha

- who died in 2013 - saw the project, entitled Youth Unemployment, as a way to help those in need by highlighting the hardships faced by so many in the North East of England.

The radical images were showcased in an exhibition in 1981 and led to a newspaper review and interview based on her work.

Around three million people in the UK were facing the bleak effects of unemployment at the time, and the published review of Tish’s series ended up being read aloud during a topical debate in the House of Commons.

Tish saw the project, entitled Youth Unemployment, as a way to highlight the hardships faced by so many in the North East of England
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Tish saw the project, entitled Youth Unemployment, as a way to highlight the hardships faced by so many in the North East of EnglandCredit: Tish Murtha
The radical images were taken from 1979 and showcased in an exhibition in 1981
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The radical images were taken from 1979 and showcased in an exhibition in 1981Credit: Tish Murtha
Around three million people in the UK were facing the bleak effects of unemployment at the time of the extraordinary photographic series
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Around three million people in the UK were facing the bleak effects of unemployment at the time of the extraordinary photographic seriesCredit: Tish Murtha
A girl poses for Tish during her radical series on how unemployment affected Newcastle
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A girl poses for Tish during her radical series on how unemployment affected NewcastleCredit: Tish Murtha

The exhibition was seen as highlighting the failure of the government's Youth Opportunities Programme, which had been created to provide employment for young people.

The talented photographer had first-hand experience of what it was like to be desperate for cash at the time - and knew many of her subjects well.

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Tish’s daughter Ella Murtha said to : “The people in the Youth Unemployment series were her family, friends and neighbours around her in Elswick.

“She returned from college in Newport with a burning desire to use the skills she had learned to effectively highlight the problems that Elswick as a community was facing.

“She felt that increased awareness can be a positive influence, in that it helps create the basis for facing and changing those social situations which often appear inevitable.”

Two men recline on the roof of a building in the dark
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Two men recline on the roof of a building in the darkCredit: Tish Murtha
A man gazes at four boys who are balanced on old pillars outside a crumbling building
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A man gazes at four boys who are balanced on old pillars outside a crumbling buildingCredit: Tish Murtha
Laughing boys pose next to a message on the wall condemning the police
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Laughing boys pose next to a message on the wall condemning the police
A young man gazes out of the window of a house which has had the glass smashed out of its frame
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A young man gazes out of the window of a house which has had the glass smashed out of its frameCredit: Tish Murtha
The photographic series was so poignant that it was highlighted in a debate in the House of Commons about the issue of youth unemployment
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The photographic series was so poignant that it was highlighted in a debate in the House of Commons about the issue of youth unemploymentCredit: Tish Murtha

Ella is about to launch a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund a photo book on Youth Unemployment.

We previously covered an incredible black and white series showing the struggle and squalor of life in Glasgow slums in the 1860s.

We also showcased some stunning images taken by film director Ken Russell showing teddy boys and girls in the 1950s.

 

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