Bloomsbury Jamboree Lectures

Design by Rob Ryan

You are invited to our annual BLOOMSBURY JAMBOREE which runs from 10:30am-4:30pm next weekend, Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th December at Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Sq, WC1N 3AT.

We are showing the work of our favourite makers and are proud to present these accompanying lectures. Tickets are £10 which includes entry to the Jamboree.

PETER PARKER, SOME MEN IN LONDON – QUEER LIFE 1945 – 1967

(Winner of The Times History Book of the Year)

Author and biographer Peter Parker will be discussing his new, highly acclaimed two-part anthology which uncovers the rich reality of life for queer men in London, from the end of the Second World War to decriminalisation in 1967.

Peter explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period, whether they were well-known figures such as Francis Bacon, Joe Orton and Kenneth Williams, or living lives of quiet – or occasionally rowdy – anonymity in pubs, clubs, more public places of assignation, or at home. It is rich with letters, diaries, psychological textbooks, novels, films, plays and police records, covering a wide range of viewpoints, from those who deplored homosexuality to those who campaigned for its decriminalisation.

Click here to book for Peter Parker’s lecture at 11am on Saturday 7th December

Photograph by Lucinda Douglas-Menzies

RUPERT THOMAS, A YEAR AT DENNIS’ SEVERS HOUSE

For 22 years Rupert Thomas was editor of The World of Interiors, but in January this year he took up the role of Director of Dennis Severs’ House in Spitalfields.

Dennis Severs’ House is both an extraordinary survival and a complete fantasy. As the presentation of historic open-houses become increasingly sanitised, the unique qualities of Dennis Severs’ House allow a more charismatic and thought-provoking way to present the past.

In this illustrated talk, Rupert will discuss the challenges of remaining true to Severs’ maverick spirit of theatricality and immersion, and of offering visitors something beyond the norm.

Click here to book for Rupert Thomas’ lecture at 12:15pm on Sunday 8th December

Photograph by TimWalker

SIMON COSTIN, THE MUSEUM OF BRITISH FOLKLORE

Simon Costin is an internationally respected art director and curator. In this illustrated lecture, Simon outlines how his life-long passion for Folklore has resulted in the creation of the Museum of British Folklore celebrating the UK’s rich folkloric heritage.

“Folklore is a vibrant element of our living cultural heritage; these beliefs, customs and expressions link the past to the present and help us understand our specific communities and cultures, as well as our shared humanity. Far from being static or an ageing genre, it remains relevant by adapting to new circumstances, with the ‘Folk’ (people), and the ‘lore’ (stories) continually informing and influencing each other.” – Simon Costin

Click here to book for Simon Costin’s lecture at 1:30pm on Sunday 8th December

Photograph by David Hoffman

THE GENTLE AUTHOR, ENDURANCE & JOY IN THE EAST END 1971 – 1987

The Gentle Author will show photographs of Whitechapel in the seventies from David Hoffman’s new book. David’s bold, humane photography records a lost era, speaking vividly to our own times.

When he was a young photographer, David came to live in a squat in Fieldgate Mansions in Whitechapel and it changed his life. Over the following years, he documented homelessness, racism and the rise of protest in startlingly intimate and compassionate pictures to compose a vital photographic testimony of resilience.

Thanks to the courage and determination of the squatters who stopped the demolition, Fieldgate Mansions still stands providing invaluable housing to families in Whitechapel today.

Click here to book for The Gentle Author’s lecture at 2:45pm on Sunday 8th December

Design by Marion Elliot