I REMEMBER … A Jubilee Celebration

It is 1952 … and Britain is threadbare, bombed-out, financially and morally exhausted. Its major cities are still bomb-sites, and it is almost impossible for many families to borrow money, rationing is harsher than ever, and there is an acute shortage of decent housing. Morally and culturally, Britain is “white, Christian, and deferential”. The Empire is on the wain, and, increasingly, emphasis shifts to building new relationships with the people of the Commonwealth.

On the sudden death of her father, into this ‘State of the Nation’ is thrust a 25 year old woman … the first female monarch for over 100 years … a symbol of ‘modernity’, ’post-war progress’ … change.

In 1952 other young women emerge onto the cultural and social landscape … women who will fight for change, and for greater rights and equality for all women.

We want to hear from a diverse range of local women and discuss how the UK has changed for YOU in the last 70 years:

I remember having to wear a dyed raincoat to school because my Mum couldn’t afford to buy the proper one

I remember the orange biscuit tin that I used to steal digestives from

I remember the monsoon rains in the village and seeing hundreds of frogs jumping everywhere

I remember the first slap not only on my face but on my soul

I remember closing my eyes and drawing letters in the blackness

I remember the first heartbeat of my daughter inside me

We are creating a piece of immersive theatre led by ONE VOICE – a group of women committed to bringing about change through art and performance.

We want to capture the fragments of lives lived, glimpses back into childhood – the seven ages of women over the course of seven decades.

The seemingly small, the mundane, the life-changing … everything will be reflected through the prism of community life and all will blossom in importance and relevance.

We are taking over the cafe at:
SQUARE CHAPEL ARTS CENTRE
Friday 17th June at 11AM

Bring a special ‘I Remember…’ and please join us – place are limited so please book.