Changing Britain 1945 - 1979

The first 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

This weekend begins with the Conservative defeat in 1945 and ends with their victory in 1979. Who were the key figures, what were the governing ideas of the period, and how much did British democracy change?

A look at politics, music and lifestyle in the 1960s, when the great liberal reforms (the end of capital punishment and the de-criminalisation of abortion and homosexuality) took us out of the dark ages, Carnaby Street flourished, and a youthful counter-culture dissolved boundaries.