Opened by Herb: Wolverhampton’s Festival Market Hall

Artsfest Artsfest 2021 / Opened by Herb: Wolverhampton’s Festival Market Hall

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

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 that was 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 seen as 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 the field of fashion and dress, she enjoys a frequent foray into broader design history, and particularly into one of her favourite topics – the Festival of Britain.

This event was recorded on 5th August 2021.

Artsfest 2021

September 2021 Recordings:

Artsfest

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