Photographer in the frame to document Rotherham's 'warm, magic' social heritage
FLUX Rotherham and Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage have announced Sam McQueen as the photographer for a major exhibition at Clifton Park Museum.
From bingo halls to dance floors – Sam McQueen has been selected as the photographer to document an “hugely important” project focusing on Rotherham's social heritage.
FLUX Rotherham and Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage has announced Sam will undertake a photography residency in the Test Space gallery at Clifton Park Museum.
The residency is part of Palladiums of the North, a two-year heritage project celebrating and preserving the social and entertainment culture that flourished in Rotherham's working men's clubs, community venues and social spaces from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Palladiums of the North will uncover overlooked stories held in personal collections, community memories and informal archives.
Through creative community engagement, oral histories, exhibitions and immersive events, the project will ensure important local histories are documented, shared and safeguarded for future generations.
The Test Space programme is designed to give practitioners, artists and community groups the space, time and support to develop their creative practice, by providing a residency with access to funding, dedicated gallery space, facilities and support.
Running from October 2026 to March 2027, Sam's residency will explore the atmosphere, memories and lasting significance of the venues that once played a central role in community life across the borough.
Sam said: "I'm delighted to have been selected for the Palladium's of the North project.
“I've worked taking pictures of the people of Rotherham for many years, and to now have the opportunity to display photographs of such a key part of community life with a broader audience is incredibly exciting.
“Through the residency I hope to create work that captures the warmth and magic of walking through a club door for the first time.
“Social clubs are steeped in history and continue to play a vital role in the communities of Rotherham, so preserving the memories, stories and atmosphere which is tied to them is hugely important.”
The resulting exhibition, scheduled to open in Test Space in December 2026, will serve as the public launch of the wider Palladiums of the North project and help shape a major exhibition planned for Clifton Park Museum in 2028.