How Sunderland academics are celebrating Washington’s 60th birthday

Published on 10, March, 2025

Academics and students at the University of Sunderland have been part of a project that celebrates the 60^th birthday of Washington as a new town.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded Sunderland Culture £72,600 for the Washington Heritage Partnership’s project The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass.

The project aims to empower local people to celebrate the town’s 60th birthday through songwriting, photomontage and podcasts.

Dr Caroline Mitchell, Professor of Radio and Participation, alongside Dr Richard Berry and MA students at the University have helped produce the podcast element of the project.

Dr Mitchell said: "Supporting this project, from inception to the podcast musical performance on March 13th, has been one of the highlights of my academic career. 

“Using my experience of making community media platforms to voice unheard stories, I was able to work with the Washington Community Podcasting group to develop confidence and skills to tell stories relating to their town and heritage using podcasting.

“Collaborating with the amazing individuals in the Washington Heritage Network and the We Make Culture songwriting team has meant that the podcast ballads are rich in detail, archival sounds and really personal stories. 

“As well as my own research experience, we have involved students from our MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting to support the project, so they have learnt a great deal about community collaborations.    

“An added outcome of the research is that we are now developing new resources for older people to access podcasting as both audiences and producers." 

The project is named after the crocodile sculptures which were dotted around the new town including in Fatfield and Princess Anne Park, and the many undepasses created when Washington’s road network was built.

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Washington was made into a new town on July 24, 1964, one of several developments planned with visions of replacing smaller settlements built around older housing and industries with a new urban identity, homes, jobs, and community cohesion.

To honour this heritage, Dr Jude Murphy, Washington Heritage Partnership Heritage and Culture Development Co-ordinator, who led the project, and her team, have been collecting stories, memories and anecdotes.

Dr Murphy explained: “This is the second series of podcasts which our community podcasting group has produced through weekly sessions led by Grace Stubbings.

“The project would not have been possible without Grace’s expertise and the support of the University’s media and communications department who have provided invaluable expertise and practical help.”

The next in a series of The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass podcasts will be released on March 13 and a new 100-page publication about the project.

To book tickets for the live event on March 13 go to https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/the-ballad-of-the-crocodile-and-the-underpass/

Tickets are available on a ’pay what you feel’ basis.