Last Of The Rapper Sword Makers

A North East tradition with strong Amble roots is at the heart of new heritage project

A new project to save and celebrate a North East tradition with strong links to Amble is coming to Dry Water Arts this year.

Dry Water Arts has been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project to save and celebrate the tradition of rapper sword making – the specialist craft that has enabled generations of rapper sword dancers to perform their distinctive dance.

Rapper sword dancing is the miners’ dance: a lively sword dance first performed by miners in Northumberland and Durham and now danced all over the world. Amble was one of the early homes of rapper sword dancing, with Amble Sword Dancers associated with the Flanighan family of Amble. The sword dance tradition has been revived in the town in recent years by Amble Sword. While rapper sword dancing continues to flourish in the North East, across England and internationally, the specialist craft of making the swords is now in the hands of just one man, Frank Lee of Cumbria, and is in danger of disappearing.

Frank, who is 80, is an exceptionally skilled craftsperson and has spent 49 years making the swords used by rapper sword teams. At the heart of the new project is the recording of Frank’s knowledge and expertise. He will demonstrate his sword-making techniques for a film which will document his craft and preserve this knowledge as a resource for future generations.

The project will also celebrate the living tradition of rapper sword dancing and its connections with the communities in which it developed. Activities will include an exhibition at Dry Water Arts, talks and demonstrations by Frank, a concert celebrating rapper dance music, and a range of community workshops and performances.

“This project will provide our community with access to a wide array of new opportunities and resources, such as exhibitions, films, talks, demonstrations, and performances, all of which will help to bring our living history to light” said Tony Regan of Amble Living History Group “We look forward to the positive impact it will bring to our community.”

There will be opportunities for local people to discover more about Amble’s own connections with rapper sword dancing, as well as to meet some of the people keeping this vibrant tradition alive today. There will also be opportunities for people of all ages to experience rapper sword dancing and music through workshops and performances in primary schools, care homes and community venues, as well as Dry Water Arts Centre.

The project runs from August 2026 to September 2027. It will be launched at Dry Water Arts Centre on 15 November 2026 with a Launch Event and the opening of the exhibition “The Miners' Dance”.

The project has been made possible by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players. We would also like to thank The Morris Federation for their grant. 

The project partners are Beamish Museum, Redhills Durham, Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick, and The Morris Federation.

Last of The Rapper Sword Makers is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. www.heritagefund.org.uk The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.