Newcastle University Fine Art student from Northumberland wins Dogger Bank purchase prize

As a result of achieving the Dogger Bank Purchase Prize, the ‘Alreet’ and ‘Howay’ pieces by Britney Fraser will go on display at the wind farm’s Operation and Maintenance base at the Port of Tyne.

She draws upon her family’s mining heritage and working class culture in her work. ‘Alreet’ and ‘Howay’ are part of her final year degree show at Newcastle University and part of a series of pieces featuring regional words, also including ‘canny’ and ‘divvnt’ in her family’s handwriting on traditional ‘proggy’ mats made from recycled textiles.

Her art highlights untold, overlooked and undervalued stories from Northumberland’s working communities by transforming materials associated with manual labour into sculptural elevations of trade workers.

Britney said: “My art is all about work, so I’m really happy that something so grounded in the North East and in its working-class communities will go on show at Dogger Bank’s offices – where people will see it every day.”

Once complete, Dogger Bank will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

It is is working with Newcastle art gallery Gallagher & Turner on the purchase prize for the next four years, with a yearly purchase prize for art students at Newcastle and Sunderland Universities.

Felicity Wann, operations leader at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “We are delighted to present the Dogger Bank Purchase Prize Award to Britney for her inspiring artwork.

“It is our strategy to invest into the local community, so it is fantastic for the winning art pieces to have come from a student from Northumberland.”