Port Talbot: the industrial town with an uncertain future
- Text by Niall Flynn
- Photography by Alecio Ferrari and Alex Fleming
Port Talbot is synonymous with steel. At the height of employment in the ’60s, the town’s steelworks was the biggest in Europe, and the largest single employer in Wales with a workforce of almost 20,000.
Though today the plant employs a number closer to 4,000, steel remains Port Talbot’s heart and soul. But in recent years, its future has looked precarious: job losses, industry fears and the prospect of a catastrophic Hard Brexit have created a feeling of uncertainty that hangs over the Welsh town.
At the beginning of 2018, photographers Alecio Ferrari and Alex Fleming arrived with the intention of embarking on a project centred on the connection “between people and place”. However, it quickly became clear that Port Talbot’s nature as an industrial town – a steel one, to be specific – would form an integral part of the work.
“Our research of Port Talbot came at a time where articles declared Port Talbot as the most polluted city in the UK,” say Ferrari and Fleming, speaking collectively regarding their initial attraction to photographing the town.
“While the nefariousness of industrial towns on both environmental and human health are well documented, what resonated for us was the isolation that was put upon the people living within industrial towns. What becomes of the individuals who rely solely upon the steel works?”
Simply titled Port Talbot, the duo’s images hone in on the notion of isolation, presenting Port Talbot as a place – like countless industrial towns across the UK – that has been allowed to fall behind in the midst of industry shifts and economic downturn.
“We would like to ignite the conversation of neglect that riddles our industrial communities, thus serving as a reminder that we all have a shared obligation to navigate the clouded waters of our future as one.”
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
The legendary trans artist & illustrator behind Drag magazine
A new book brings together pioneer Vicky West’s luminous illustrations of fantasy, femininity and fashion.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Why did police taser a Bristol grandfather in the face?
Trailblazing documentary I Am Judah chronicles community champion Ras Judah Adunbi’s horrific treatment at the hands of the police and his fight for justice.
Written by: Maisy Hunter
In photos: Ghana’s complex e-waste industry
A new exhibition explores the country’s huge, unregulated industry, which can be hazardous to workers’ health and the local enviroment, yet provides economic opportunity to many.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Meet Corbin Shaw, Huck 81’s Artist in Residence
The Sheffield born artist talks about the people and places that shaped his practice for the latest issue of Huck.
Written by: Josh Jones
The Blessed Madonna: “Dance music flourishes in times of difficulty”
The DJ talks about her debut album ‘Godspeed’, connection and resistance on the dance floor, the US election and more alongside exclusive pictures from her album release party.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Revisiting the birth of skate culture in 1970s Los Angeles
New photobook ‘Last Days of Summer: California Skateboarding Archive 1975–1978’ looks back at an iconic chapter of youth culture.
Written by: Miss Rosen