Ten years ago, Unite North East Yorkshire and the Humber region commissioned Red Ladder Theatre Company to create a play which marked the 30th anniversary of the 1984 miners’ strike. Our region is immensely proud that we are again working with Red Ladder, who have a passion to create change through the arts, to bring back this hugely important play for the 40th Anniversary.

We’re Not Going Back tells a story that needs to be told, the story of the women in the strike. This is not only about the support they gave the striking miners – though, make no mistake, that support was crucial. This is a story about the powerful place that women hold in our communities and in the world of work. That is why, this year, our premiere performance is on International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women.

WAPC Credit Raissa Page courtesy of Richard Burton Archives Swansea University

We’re Not Going Back matters because it shines a light on the role that whole communities play in fighting for better jobs, for better pay, and for better working conditions. The families who stand alongside every worker are vital to our strength as a union.

Every day we face challenges in building a better society: attacks on workers’ rights, the threat of climate change, the unchecked development of AI. Unite members are at the forefront of these struggles, demanding a sustainable future, for workers, for the planet, for our communities.
The role of trade unions is to shape the change – to make sure that the skills and knowledge of workers lead that change, to make sure our communities thrive, with good jobs at their heart.

Credit Keith Pattison School holidays. Easington Colliery Club

And to create the change we need, we have to be able to imagine the world we are building. Art can play a huge role in opening up our ideas of what is possible, in giving hope. The kind of theatre that Red Ladder makes is a powerful call to action. A reminder of who we are, and what we can be – together.

I am sure you will enjoy this play. I know it will make you laugh – and think. I believe it will carry us forward with the strength to fight for our communities.

The past we inherit. The future we build.