More than a 100,000 people are expected to march through the streets of London tomorrow, and art students from Goldsmiths, University of London are planning to capture the day in an exhibition.
The demonstration is set to be the largest since the march against the war in Iraq in 2003, and the Museum of London has agreed to show the the banners, placards and other artefacts, to provide a memory of the day
The project organisers hope to showcase the creativity of the demonstrators and show it to future generations as part of a history of protests of England.
Goldsmiths students said that in the recent demonstrations the protesters have become more: “inventive and carnivalesque: from playing twister on Millbank, to carrying shield-size copies of Karl Marx books.”
Guy Atkins, one of the organizers of the project, said: “Saturday’s march looks set to be an historic event, so we’re asking people to give us the protest material they want the Museum of London to preserve.
“Britain has a rich heritage of protests, from the Suffragettes, to the Poll Tax demonstrations, to the Iraq War protests. But how these movements are remembered has largely been decided after the event, and not by those involved with the protests. We want to challenge that.”
The students are asking anti-cuts demonstrators to donate placards, costumes, posters and other demonstration material to the Museum of London’s collections.
Dr Cathy Ross, Director of Collections and Learning at the Museum of London, said: “Although we can’t guarantee to take everything that’s offered, we’re hoping to end up with items that capture the mood and spirit of the day.
“The Museum of London has a strong tradition of contemporary collecting and this is an original and exciting way of capturing a large London event at the time it happens.”.
The Goldsmiths students will be accepting donations of protest materials on the day and will be displaying a ‘mobile exhibition ‘of the protest. Donations to the exhibition can also be made at the Museum of London on Saturday 2 April.
I have my placard in my livivng room ( thought would be useful for any follow up demo’s) I Made it myself using cardboard, packing paper, blue marker pen and I wrapped it in cling film in case of rain.
It says; The People Say “No”.
I can make another if there is still a way I can donate it and it be used in the exhibition (its too late to get to the Museum of London now.) I feel deeply about all the cuts so did not not want to single out one area, they will all be devastating to society.
Good Luck with the project, it’s a great idea.
Caron