Banners of Greenham Common: Workshop and Archive Visit

Join us to see behind the scenes at The Women’s Library (London School of Economics (LSE)), exploring collection holdings with artist and activist Alice Gabb. We will examine original banners and ephemera from Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (1981–2000), where the politics of gender, queerness and coalition played a crucial role in this long-standing activist campaign. Learning from Alice about how the past language of protest might inform our current work for social change, we will source phrases from the ephemera discovered during our time in the archive. You will have the chance to explore the power of collective organising and speech while engaging with a contemporary artist’s activist practice. Our work together will directly inform a special banner commission by Alice for the Paul Mellon Centre.

During the workshop there will be an opportunity to visit the exhibition, Women of the World Unite: the United Nations Decade for Women and Transnational Feminisms 1975 to Now in the LSE Library Gallery.

This events programme is for young people aged 18–24 years old. While these workshops are intended for this age group, we are keen to be inclusive, and if you feel it would be particularly beneficial for you to attend, please contact our Learning Programme Manager, Rachel Prosser at [email protected].

All making supplies are provided free of charge and workshops are in-person only. All workshops are wheelchair accessible.

Spaces at the workshops are limited to create intimate discussion and instruction during hands-on sessions.

To find about more about the programme and other events, see below.

The British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) was founded in 1896, a year after the London School of Economics and Political Science. In its national research library role, it builds and maintains collections of national significance in the social sciences and houses many world-class collections including The Women's Library and the Hall-Carpenter Archives (LGBT+ equality and rights). The Women’s Library is the oldest and largest library in Britain devoted to the history of women’s campaigning and activism from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Image Credit: Image courtesy of 5GCW collection, The Women's Library, LSE Library.