After Coal director Tom Hansell presented at a forum co-sponsored by the Elkhorn City Area Heritage Council in Elkhorn City, Kentucky September 18.  He shares his reflections on the event.   A lot of water has flowed under the bridge that spans the Russell Fork River in downtown Elkhorn City (population 1000) since my last visit.  This communtiy and its people have been close to my heart for a long time.  I made my first documentary The Breaks of the Mountain (1999) about local efforts to use the rivers and trails surrounding Elkhorn City to drive adventure tourism.   The Elkhorn City Area Heritage Council formed during the production of the documentary and has been a driving force in celebrating the unique cultural and natural heritage of the area. The world has changed a great deal is the 15 years since I finished The Breaks of The Mountain.  Coal employment […]

After Coal director Tom Hansell will travel to Elkhorn City, Kentucky September 18 to present clips from the After Coal documentary. This free public event will be held between 5 and 7 pm September 18 in the Elkhorn City Public Library. The forum is co-sponsored by the Elkhorn City Area Heritage Council and is supported by a grant from the Chorus Foundation.

Mark your calendar! In September and October, the After Coal team has planned three community forums for residents and policy makers in eastern Kentucky. Short video clips from our documentary and guests from Wales will place the challenges facing Appalachian coal communities in a global context.   Community Forum Schedule Homegrown Tourism Thursday, September 18, 5:00 – 6:30pm Elkhorn City Public Library, 150 East Main Street  Elkhorn City, KY With Tim Belcher, Elkhorn Area Heritage Council And Tom Hansell, Appalachian State University   Funding Sustainable Development Tuesday, October 7, 7:00-8:30 pm Appalshop Theater, 91 Madison Avenue, Whitesburg, KY With Hywel Francis, Member of Parliament representing Aberavon, Wales Mair Francis, Founder of DOVE workshop Youth, Arts, and Community Regeneration Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 – 8:00 pm Southeastern Kentucky Community and Technical College – Harlan Campus 164 Ball Park Road, Harlan, KY With Richard Davies, Media instructor at Merthyr Tydfill College, Wales […]