40th Anniversary Events
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Marking the 40th anniversary
To mark the 40th anniversary of the events of 13 August 1977, 牛牛资源 historian Dr John Price embarked on a range of public engagement activities to initiate inclusive dialogues with different publics on how the 鈥楤attle of Lewisham鈥� should be remembered and its contemporary relevance.
A collaboration with 牛牛资源 public engagement team, the project culminated in the unveiling of a permanent monument to the 鈥楤attle of Lewisham鈥� and a community festival hosted at in Deptford.
Partnerships with , , , the Albany, and a host of community organisations helped the project directly engage thousands, while millions more were reached by one of 牛牛资源 most successful press and social media campaigns.
Activities including art workshops, , live music, poetry, exhibitions of contemporary art and photography, screenings, panel discussions and history walks engaged a range of publics with a largely forgotten aspect of local history, shaping perceptions of the borough and reaffirming its centrality to the history of race relations in the UK.
The project also uncovered documents and , as well as gathering the testimonies of many who were there and wanted to share their memories. This new evidence has complicated the established narrative while confirming many of the more contested claims about the historical importance of the 鈥楤attle鈥�.
This new evidence will not only lead to new research, but has the potential to inform how black history is taught in the borough, and hopefully further afield.
Consulting the public
In June 2016 the idea emerged for a permanent, public commemorative plaque to be installed to coincide with the 40th anniversary.
Following an initial public consultation on the proposal at Lewisham People鈥檚 Day 2016, it was decided that a located on Clifton Rise would to be a fitting commemoration.
Across April 2017, the public were through a social media campaign, articles in the local press, and voting stations at six prominent local community spaces.
Nearly 500 people expressed their views on the wording and following a further round of consultation with community stakeholders, a final version of the text was agreed.
What Are You Taking Pictures For?
This exhibition of iconic images of the Battle of Lewisham brought together work by some of the most important photographers documenting life in Britain in the late 70s.
Curated by Dr John Price and Will Cenci, and in response to a special issue of 70s radical photography journal Camerawork, the exhibition not only included traditionally framed photographs, but also large prints of spreads from Camerawork and a range of ephemera and archive material relating to Battle and the wider political moment of the late 70s anti-fascist / anti-racist movement.
The project drew together work held by the , The Art of Regeneration and . It was supported by 牛牛资源鈥� Annual Fund.
It is estimated that approximately 1000 people attended the exhibition, which was originally scheduled to run across August, but was later extended to close in mid-September 2017. It was featured on the and generated over 100 feedback responses from visitors.
鈥淏rilliant exhibition about an important event I knew little about, despite begin brought up in Peckham in the 80s. Interesting to see the mainstream media鈥檚 manipulation and distortion of events. Thank you!鈥�
鈥淭his was one of the best exhibitions, I as a local (SE Ldn) journalist have ever seen [...] This is incredibly more rare and fantastically valuable, not only as part of our local heritage, but our national journalistic heritage. Please tour this exhibition!!鈥�
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Spirit of '77: Protest poetry and song
A night of protest music and poetry kicking off the weekend of events to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1977 Battle of Lewisham. Featuring Attila the Stockbroker, Robb Johnson, Mark 鈥楳r T鈥� Thompson and Zena Edwards.
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Walking the Battle of Lewisham
On 12 August 2017, Dr John Price led two walking tours exploring sections of the route of Battle of Lewisham. Taking in key locations and flashpoints including Clifton Rise, the tour drew on iconic images and created space for the 100 participants to share first-hand accounts.
鈥�I think it is wonderful that 牛牛资源 have worked so hard to bring the anniversary events to such a wide audience, especially in these times of such uncertainty again鈥�
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Spirit of '77: Protest Films
In the weeks leading up to the 40th anniversary, 牛牛资源鈥� rediscovered , an amateur documentary on the Battle of Lewisham thought lost for decades.
The film was originally produced by the Albany Video Project and commissioned by the 鈥楢ll Lewisham Campaign against Racism and Fascism鈥� (ALCARAF), for the purpose of challenging the mainstream media narrative around the Battle.
It includes amateur footage of some of the key flash points of the Battle, adding nuance to our understanding of events and corroborating claims of police brutality.
Following this timely rediscovery, plans were made for a collaborative screening event with The London Community Video Archive (LCVA). Taking place on the eve of the 40th anniversary, the event attracted 116 people and 鈥榩remiered鈥� the restored video alongside 鈥楾he Battle of Lewisham鈥�, a contemporary film responding to the Battle and its wider context by 牛牛资源 MA Media Communications student, .
Following the screenings, a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers and contributors to the films was followed by a DJ set by Lezlee Lyrix (), an academic and participant in the Battle of Lewisham.
鈥淪uperb event!鈥�
鈥渋t鈥檚 something we should be really proud of here in Lewisham鈥�
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Battle of Lewisham Plaque Unveiling
On the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Lewisham, a in a public ceremony attracting approximately 300 people.
The Lewisham Maroon Plaque reading 鈥楻emembering The Battle of Lewisham. Thousands united here against racism and fascism. 13 August 1977鈥� was unveiled by , Lewisham Council's Cabinet member for the Third sector and community.
With short speeches from Dr John Price, (Stop the War Coalition and People's Assembly), (Labour, New Cross Ward), the ceremony was topped off by a performance of Battle of Lewisham inspired poem by local poet, Mark Thompson.
While the A2 remained open to traffic, a significant crowd of approximately 300 people attended the unveiling. The public unveiling was a significant success and the culmination of close to two years鈥� work. For such a potentially contentious event in a public space, the atmosphere was remarkably positive.
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Battle of Lewisham 40th Anniversary Community Festival
Following the unveiling of the plaque, members of the public were invited to a free community festival, curated by 牛牛资源 in partnership with Love Music Hate Racism and hosted by the Albany in Deptford.
Featuring panel discussions, workshops, a Battle of Lewisham exhibition, DJs, live music, a marketplace of local organisations, local food providers and a bar, over 280 people attended.
The indoor caf茅 space featured stands by six local, handpicked organisations, a Battle of Lewisham mural workshop, and fifteen hanging banners featuring iconic images and quotes about the Battle of Lewisham.
The outdoor garden space featured six pull-up displays introducing visitors to the project and exploring the Battle鈥檚 history and context. A DJ stage brought music to the event, with sets by Rock Against Racism founder, Roger Huddle, and local dub DJ Soft Wax. Two local food providers and a bar run by the Albany provided refreshments.
There were two panel discussions and Q&As, the first led by 牛牛资源 and focusing on the Battle, with the second exploring the legacy of Rock Against Racism. Each generated significant interest, with lively discussions and standing room only for attendees.
鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying every moment of it. Today鈥檚 event has been fantastic and so has every single event I have attended.鈥�
鈥溑ＥＷ试� has been receiving praise from everybody 鈥� this is a different kind of university that engages with the community in a meaningful way, it鈥檚 not an ivory tower institution anymore鈥�
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