Have you a tale to tell from Hartlepool’s seafaring and industrial past?

Artist Jonny Hannah has been commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council to create the exhibition, called ‘Shipbuilders and Fisherfolk’, by working with residents and community groups to uncover stories from Hartlepool’s past, tapping into the town’s museum and gallery collections and reimagining Hartlepool’s historic maritime vessels.

Jonny Hannah

A graduate of the Royal College of Art and a freelance illustrator since 1998, Jonny has worked in most fields of contemporary illustration. His clients have included The British Library, The Folio Society and Royal Mail – for which he illustrated a series for stamps celebrating the UK’s unusual folk festivals. He has won a number of awards including a BAFTA for a Channel 4 animated film.

The exhibition will run from June to October next year, in installations at Hartlepool Art Gallery and the Museum of Hartlepool and in other forms such as story trails.

Jonny has created a number of different strands to the project, including fisherfolk, shipbuilders, the life story of a ship built in Hartlepool, shops and traders of yesteryear, sea songs, your Hartlepool of tomorrow, Hartlepool heroes now and then (from Captain Cutlass and Navvy Nan to Savannah Marshall) and Monkey Business – an homage to the Monkey Legend.

He is next in Hartlepool for the Wintertide Festival on the Headland on Saturday 26th November when he’ll be on the hunt in particular for stories about fishing and fisherfolk.

If you have a tale to give him, pay him a call in the Squircle in the middle of the Headland Town Square from 2pm to 8pm. In return for a story or memory you can work with him to create your very own free screen-printed tote bag.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, Jonny would still love to hear from you via email to shipbuildersandfisherfolk@gmail.com

A logo specially created by Jonny Hannah for Shipbuilders and Fisherfolk

He said: “Being a visual artist is much more than just drawing. It's about looking and research and speaking to people. And along the many roads that journey takes me, the drawing, painting, printing takes place in tandem.

“Hartlepool is a treasure trove of stories & characters. There are myths and legends, but also folk who very much existed, like Fish Annie, selling fresh (or not too fresh!) fish from a pram.

“This is golden material to an illustrator like me and I can't wait to start to make all the many new artworks for next year.” 

Councillor Bob Buchan, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Adult and Community-Based Services Committee, added: “Jonny Hannah has produced some remarkable work for many important commissions, so we’re really excited to see what he will create for next year.

“There’s nowhere quite like Hartlepool for its maritime and industrial heritage, so I’m sure people will provide Johnny with ample inspiration to produce something remarkable which will complement both the visit of the Tall Ships and our ongoing transformation of the Hartlepool Waterfront too.”