Changing Britain 1979 - 1997

The second weekend of events as part of Changing Britain festival.

Talks, debates, exhibitions, concerts and installations examine Britain's post-war recovery, the Festival of Britain and the creation of the welfare state.

Changing Britain is a festival looking at 70 years of British history, focusing on society, culture and politics

For better or for worse, society changed in the 1980s. Large-scale privatisation, unthinkable at the start of the decade, was a commonplace by the end. De-industrialisation was matched by the dominance of the City. Mass unemployment, new legislation, and the defeat of the miners effectively destroyed the power of organised labour. Society became ever more marketised.