Our Latest Exhibition Design Project: Radical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted
Radical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted: A Community-Driven Exploration of Local History
In collaboration with the Marx Memorial Library and Workers' School (MML) and The Peel Centre, Simon Leach Design is proud to have contributed to developing the thought-provoking exhibitionRadical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted. This project continues our interest in developing community engagement projects to deliver exhibitions that share people's interests and voices in telling engaging and relevant stories.
Exploring the Radical Past of Clerkenwell
The exhibition, which opens on September 25, 2024, invites visitors to delve into the radical history of Clerkenwell, an area defined by centuries of social struggle and activism. From the Peasants' Revolt in 1381 to the annual May Day rallies, the exhibition illuminates critical events that shaped the political and social landscape of the neighbourhood.
The project, funded by the Association for Independent Museums and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was co-curated with local residents. It drew on MML's extensive archives, which document fundamental movements in workers' rights, antifascism, and equality campaigns. We worked closely with the community throughout the process to ensure their voices were central to the narrative.
Community Co-Curation: A Participatory Approach
The development of Radical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted centred around three participatory workshops that engaged local residents in exploring the MML archives. These sessions began by introducing facsimiles of historical images and texts, grouped thematically to spark interest and discussion. Participants identified areas of personal connection, and for the second workshop, they were invited into the Library to engage directly with its original artefacts.
During the third and final session, residents selected the most resonant objects, contributing personal reflections that became the exhibition's focus. These individual insights shaped the narrative and content of the final display, ensuring that the exhibition speaks about the past from a contemporary context.
Our Role in Designing the Exhibition
Simon Leach Design was responsible for the exhibition's overall design, which was tailored to reflect the content and the project's participatory nature. We created a flexible and accessible exhibition framework that echoes protest banners, foregrounded participants' images, and connected them to their words and selected artefacts. By incorporating archival materials and local participants' thoughts, we transformed the space into a living history that invites ongoing engagement.
The exhibition will be displayed at the Marx Memorial Library until the end of 2024 before potentially touring other venues. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore how Clerkenwell's history of activism continues to resonate with today's generations, with themes of social justice, workers' rights, and antifascism emerging as critical focal points.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Public Access to MML
This project is part of the MML's broader initiative to open up its historic venue for greater public access. As Meirian Jump, Director of the Marx Memorial Library, highlights: "This project not only brings our rich archival materials to life through the voices of local residents but also marks the launch of our venue as a community exhibition space, supporting our future plans to develop this area further."
The National Lottery funding application, now in preparation, seeks to further these goals by creating permanent and temporary exhibition spaces that celebrate Clerkenwell's radical history while making the Library's archive more accessible.
See the exhibition
Radical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted will open at the Marx Memorial Library on September 25. The exhibition will be open during MML events and the Library's twice-weekly tours. For more details, please visit the Marx Memorial Library website.
At Simon Leach Design, we're excited to be part of this transformative project, which showcases Clerkenwell's rich history and serves as a testament to the power of community collaboration in reinterpreting and preserving the past.
Photo credits: Karl Weiss