After the End researchers teamed up with acclaimed photographer, Jon Pountney for a powerful exhibition combining striking photography with deeply personal stories from local residents of Port Talbot.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 launched on 31 July 2026 at The Plaza, Port Talbot, and can be also be viewed in the exhibition page.

Intimate portraits, reflections and shared memories, give a unique insight into life in Port Talbot after the closure of the last blast furnace. The exhibition captures a community navigating one of the most significant industrial transitions in Welsh history and is part of a wider effort to preserve and centre local voices and encourage dialogue about the social impacts of industrial change, regeneration and community experience of major economic transitions.

Jon Pountney, whose work is widely recognised for its exploration of memory, community, and social history, offers an evocative portrait of a town at a pivotal moment. His photographs document not only a changing landscape, but also the people whose lives and identities have been intertwined with Port Talbot's steelmaking legacy for generations.

More than an exhibition, 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 is a celebration of Port Talbot's people: their strength, creativity, and determination to shape the future while preserving the memories and experiences that matter. The collection creates a space where art, research and community experience come together, encouraging conversations about belonging, heritage, and what comes next.

“People in the town felt strongly that the blast furnace closure did not mean “writing off their community”, said Patricia Kingori, a professor of global health ethics at the University of Oxford and lead researcher on After the End.”

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