Internationally renowned artist Mackenzie Thorpe was raised in the industrial town of Middlesbrough in the 1950s, where life for the Thorpe family was no different than that of most of their community – at times a struggle. Mackenzie acknowledges mixed emotions about this period in his life. He remembers the strong feeling of community spirit, the warmth and humour that flourished in the face of adversity, as well as the loneliness and isolation.
