THE SMYTHS

Punk took the world by storm, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire and provoke people today. The young people of Northamptonshire were as inspired by punk as the rest of the country - they formed bands, set up music and clothing stores and managed punk nights. This major exhibition follows the Punk: Rage & Revolution exhibition at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and explores fashion, music, the local gig scene and much more.

Infamously and eternally connected with the Sex Pistols and the DIY ethic of punk, Jamie Reid’s image-making has equally, over the decades, been at the centre of activist movements. Taking Liberties! features posters, banners, drawings and collages designed by Jamie Reid with the express purpose of viscerally grabbing the public’s attention, increasing awareness of campaigns for social justice and change.

Found in the Fields is an exhibition of sixteen images by artist Carry Akroyd incorporating words form the poet John Clare, for Akroyd this is a reoccurring theme. Throughout her enjoyment of colour and sense of composition combine productively with her eye for bird life and botany.

Lilies on the Land is an extraordinary piece of theatre telling the story of Britain’s Women’s Land Army of World War II. Based on hundreds of actual letters with Original Land Girls, the play focuses on four very different women who all come together during Britain’s darkest hour determined to “do their bit” for King and Country. Working long hours, in clothes full of mice, the bonds formed during the war would last a lifetime as women’s stories unfold. Not only do they have to learn the ways of working on the land the hard way, but they have to deal with being far from home and their loved ones, as outsiders in unfamiliar circumstances. At times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, this story of some of the country’s unsung heroes is a wonderfully rich piece of theatre.

Infamously and eternally connected with the Sex Pistols and the DIY ethic of punk, Jamie Reid’s image-making has equally, over the decades, been at the centre of activist movements. Taking Liberties! features posters, banners, drawings and collages designed by Jamie Reid with the express purpose of viscerally grabbing the public’s attention, increasing awareness of campaigns for social justice and change.

Found in the Fields is an exhibition of sixteen images by artist Carry Akroyd incorporating words form the poet John Clare, for Akroyd this is a reoccurring theme. Throughout her enjoyment of colour and sense of composition combine productively with her eye for bird life and botany.