Working Class Movement Library - A Great Betrayal: One Hundred Years On' exhibition design

I had the joy of delivering the design for Working Class Movement Library’s ‘A Great Betrayal: One Hundred Years On - The Lessons of the 1926 General Strike’ exhibition, which is open now! ★

The exhibition design included 19 panels that narrate the timeline of the General Strike and highlight individual stories, including local people like Jack Forshaw from Salford, who became a martyr for the strike after being mistreated in prison, and Mancunian Ellen Wilkinson, whose voice has helped shape understandings of women’s roles in strike action.

The design was developed by researching the existing visual language in WCML’s vast archives. Glyphs, line work, font choices, and compositional devices were sampled and reinterpreted to honour past materials documenting the strike, ranging from original bulletins from 100 years ago to research documents from the past 20 years.

I also had the privilege of working very closely with the amazing team of volunteers aged 21 - 82 who curated the show. Through regular in-person meetings at the library from February to April, we discussed the design together to ensure I was aligning with their vision for the exhibition.

The exhibition is now open on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons from 1-4 pm! For more information, head to https://www.twine.net/signin