The legacy and transformation of Liddell Power Station will be explored in a regionally significant art exhibition in Singleton and Muswellbrook this winter.

LiddellWORKS showcases artworks created by 16 artists who visited the Upper Hunter coal-fired power station in its final days before being decommissioned.

A highlight in Singleton’s exhibition will be the Liddell Historical 360 VR Experience – a virtual reality tour of the power plant created by Newcastle artist Tim Black which will show in the centre’s state-of-the-art digital lab.

The exhibition will be officially opened in Singleton with a special event at the Arts and Cultural Centre from 6:00 pm on Friday 14 June.

Singleton Council’s Director Organisation and Community Capacity, Vicki Brereton, said sound recordings, crocheted hard hats, sculptures made with pieces of the station, and much more were part of the joint exhibition between Singleton Arts and Cultural Centre and Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre.

“Liddell Power Station has been important to generations of Singleton’s working families and its closure last year was a significant moment for our community,” she said.

“This exhibition will be particularly relevant to our residents and provide a fantastic insight into our region for visitors as it celebrates Liddell’s legacy, the people that have worked there over the past 52 years and turns the conversation towards the future.

“The plans to turn Liddell into a renewable energy hub is symbolic of the transformation Singleton is undergoing now as we navigate changing economic conditions and the introduction of new industries to our region.

“We’re excited to host such an important exhibition alongside our neighbours in Muswellbrook and to showcase a piece of Upper Hunter history in our Arts and Cultural Centre.”

The LiddellWORKS program is the brainchild of Arts Upper Hunter, the regional arts development organisation for the Upper Hunter and funded by the Department of Regional NSW’s Stronger Country Communities Fund with support from AGL.

The exhibition is the centrepiece of the program.

Arts Upper Hunter Executive Director, John O’Brien said the goal of the LiddellWORKS program was two-fold – to explore the legacy of the power station and to find a way to pivot the conversation to the future.

“When Liddell’s last turbine hummed to a halt in March 2023 an era ended – truly,” he said.

“Now our valley has to face the question: where to next?”

IMAGE | Artist Penny Dunstan at Liddell Power Station.