Re-Staging Revolutions exhibition will be at the Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre from
Monday, February 10th – Thursday, May 8th 2014.
Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre is the London Borough of Camden’s Centre for the study of the borough’s local history.
Re-Staging Revolutions is Unfinished Histories’ fourth exhibition. It covers a period of enormous creativity, experimentation and questioning in theatre, from 1968-88, seeing the formation of over 700 companies. This included street theatre, community arts, physical and visual work, political theatre, gay, lesbian, Black, Asian, Disabled and women’s companies, with such evocative names as Hesitate and Demonstrate, The Phantom Captain, Sadista Sisters, Recreation Ground, Theatre of Black Women, Sal’s Meat Market and Beryl and the Perils. The exhibition focuses specifically on companies who worked or who were resident in the London boroughs of Camden and Lambeth and is the result of a year’s project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The award enabled us to recruit and train a team of 12 volunteers to work with the founders of 50 relevant alternative theatre companies to produce their company web pages for our site. The archive material they unearthed during the year has gone towards the creation of the exhibition.
Re-Staging Revolutions opened at Ovalhouse last November where it formed part of their 50th anniversary year celebrations. After a very successful 2 month residency, the exhibition was seen briefly in January at Kentish Town Community Centre.
The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Kate Crutchley Oval House Theatre Programmer 1981-91
Exhibition dates and events
Exhibition is Free and open to the public Mon and Tues 10-6, Thurs 10-7, Fri 10-5 plus every other Saturday including 5 Apr, 19 Apr, 3 May, 11-5. (on Fridays please knock for admission as main Archive is by appointment only)
Event: Tuesday, April 8th–Alternative Theatre in Camden: a (Virtual) Tour: talk by Dr Susan Croft. Click here to book.
An illustrated talk exploring the map of Camden from the point of view of the key locations where alternative theatre groups were based, staged iconic events, lived, squatted, invented new artworks and community interventions, put on festivals, experimented, collaborated, demonstrated, created new venues, toured, bought their brown rice and generally hung out 1968-88.
Event: April 22nd Tuesday – Camden Plays: readings from a selection of plays produced by Camden venues and companies, 1968-88. Introduced by Jessica Higgs, readings to include: Poppies by Noel Greig (Gay Sweatshop), Carrots by Graham Lucas (Recreation Ground), Wyre’s Cross by Peta Masters and Geraldine Griffiths (Mrs Worthington’s Daughter’s Daughters), Loaded Questions by Neil Hornick (The Phantom Captain), Masoch by Michael Almaz (Artaud Theatre Company) and Welcome Home Jacko by Mustapha Matura (Black Theatre Co-op). Produced by Jessica Higgs.
Exhibition closes: Thursday May 8th
Address:
Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre
2nd Floor,
Holborn Library,
32-38 Theobalds Road,
London WC1X 8PA
Exhibition comments from Ovalhouse residency
‘This wonderful exhibition …’ (David Hare)
‘What a wonderful collection, documenting and celebrating an astonishing period of theatrical, artistic and social activity!’ (Visitor comment)
‘This priceless web site and exhibition. Proud to have been part of a unique theatre movement’ (Rose Collis)
‘…the wonderful Unfinished Histories exhibition at Oval House, exploring alternative theatre in London from the late 1960s to the late 1980s’ (Lyn Gardner, The Guardian blog, 27 Nov 2013)