The Plymouth Mayday Festival is quite significant to the Plymouth LGBT Archive back in 2011 it was the first event we attended right at the start of the Pride in Our Past Project. We didn’t have much more than a few leaflets to hand out and our stall was quite stark.
This year the Mayday festival will be held on Saturday May 4th which coincides with the one year anniversary of the private view of the Pride in Our Past community exhibition that opened on 29th April 2012. The evening event held on May 4th, one week after the exhibition opened was attended by over 100 invited guest.
In 2013 we are proud to unite with Trade Unions and progressive campaigning groups at the Mayday Festival being held at Devonport Guildhall on Saturday 4th May between midday and midnight – Entry is FREE before 7pm.
The Plymouth LGBT Mobile Archive will be on show all day along with Pride in Plymouth promoting PRIDE in the PARK 2013 that will be held in Devonport Park on Saturday 20th July 2013.
This years Mayday festival offers a packed programme including a Rally, workshops, radical cinema and live music from Robb Johnson, Crazy Arm, Fashionably Late and many others.
One of the films being screened at 3.30pm is The Spirit of ’45 – An impassioned documentary about how the spirit of unity which buoyed Britain during the war years carried through to create a vision of a fairer, united society.
1945 was a pivotal year in British history. The unity that carried Britain through the war allied to the bitter memories of the inter-war years led to a vision of a better society. The spirit of the age was to be our brother’s and our sister’s keeper. Director Ken Loach has used film from Britain’s regional and national archives, alongside sound recordings and contemporary interviews, to create a rich political and social narrative. The Spirit of ’45 hopes to illuminate and celebrate a period of unprecedented community spirit in the UK, the impact of which endured for many years and which may yet be rediscovered today.
“The achievements of the ’45 Labour government have largely been written out of our history. From near economic collapse we took leading industries into public ownership and established the Welfare State. Generosity, mutual support and co-operation were the watch words of the age. It is time to remember the determination of those who were intent on building a better world.”
Ken Loach – Director
For more information about the film visit: http://www.thespiritof45.com/
Join the Plymouth Mayday Festival on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/538147589539342/
A timeline in a few photos:
Mayday Festival 2011 – a stark stall at the Roland Levinsky Building
Over 100 guest at the private view and reception Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery May 4th 2012
The Mobile Archive back at the Roland Levinsky Building for LGBT History Month 2013
The Mayday Festival Programme: (best Viewed in full screen mode)
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