Festival of Britain upcoming events

Artsfest Online and the Black Country Studies Centre are pleased to present a series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Festival and its impact in the Black Country.

Dates for the diary

Black Country Traces

Thursday 15 July at 7 pm

Artist Tom Hicks presents an exploration of the lasting influence of the Festival in the Black Country, focusing on design, architecture and typography in the region. Tom Hicks is the artist behind the ongoing documentary photography project Black Country Type. His images centre on the landscape and people of the Black Country, a post-industrial region of the West Midlands. His work has been exhibited widely, most recently in a solo exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery (2020). 

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The Festival of Britain in the Black Country

Thursday 22 July at 7 pm

What do a javelin, a lighthouse, and a ceramic porcupine all have in common? These are just three of the many Black Country made objects featured in the 1951 Festival of Britain. In this talk, BCLM researchers Simon Briercliffe and Jenny Gilbert explore some of the Black Country’s finest contributions to the Festival as well as how the festival was celebrated in the region. Numerous Black Country manufacturers were featured in Festival exhibitions – highlighting the innovative role of the region and the influence of Black Country industry in shaping consumer tastes. Meanwhile, closer to home, Dudley and Walsall hosted historical pageants, Stourbridge held an exhibition of glass, and the businesses of Brierley Hill came together for a special parade. And Mrs Betty Morris of Smethwick won the regional heats of the hotly contended Festival Fare cookery contest. Join Jenny and Simon for an entertaining glimpse at an unforgettable summer of Festival fun, with a distinctly Black Country twist.

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Opened by Herb: Wolverhampton’s Festival Market Hall 

Thursday 5 August at 7 pm

A new location for a market in Wolverhampton was proposed in the 1930s. After World War II, a more detailed plan saw a building influenced by the architectural blueprint for modern towns and cities built on London’s South Bank for the Festival of Britain of 1951. After seven years in the making, the new market hall was opened by Mr Festival himself, Lord Morrison. This talk explores what the new market took from the Festival of Britain and why a festival style market was ideal for post-war Wolverhampton. Dr Jane Webb trained in art history and anthropology and has worked in art schools teaching design history and theory to designers and artists for over twenty-five years. Though Jane’s research is more usually in fashion and dress, she enjoys a frequent foray into broader design history and particularly into one of her favourite topics – the Festival of Britain.

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Get a Taste of the Festival at the Black Country Living Museum

The Black Country Living Museum’s Folkes Park is hosting the Festival of the Black Country – a mini celebration of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Alongside a display of Black Country-made 1950s kitchen and homewares, there will be a cookery demonstration based on the Festival Fare cookery competition and the regional winner, Mrs Betty Morris.

Book your visit to BCLM online