Working Class Movement Library - Grunwick Strike exhibition design
Ella Fradgley
Published
I had a wonderful evening last night celebrating the opening of Working Class Movement Library’s new exhibition Holding the Line: A New Look at Grunwick ‘No Recognition: No Half Measures’, which I had the privilege of designing!
The exhibition has been interpreted and co-curated with 10 young people aged between 18 and 26. Their research draws out the voices and testimonies of the predominantly South Asian workforce who led the 1976-1978 strike action.
Based on the young people’s vision for the exhibition, I created custom, site-specific panels designed to complement their curation and showcase their reflective writing.
The collage-like approach, which incorporated various textures, documents, handwriting, stickers, and photography from the archival material, aimed to embody the spirit of organising and activism that defined the Grunwick strike. This included sampling elements such as company logos, the iconic “Support the Grunwick Strikers” stickers, and personal touches like handwritten notes in biro on letterheads.
The group specifically requested that colour be integrated into the designs, so I drew from the large collection of internal communications, selecting textures and colours from pink, yellow, orange, blue and green stationery. This added vibrancy to the design while remaining true to the original source materials.
Working with archival materials always fills me with hope. Even though the struggles of 50 years ago are being repeated today, these documents reveal the messy, complex truth that we can support one another and find solidarity. It is crucial that we internalise and share the lessons of the past to guide our actions in the present.
I am always so, so grateful for the opportunity to work on projects like these and to learn so much from others (past and present). ♡
The exhibition is open to the public Wednesdays-Fridays from 1-4 pm.