A FREE exhibition celebrating teenage life over the past century will be opening at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum from July 1.
The exhibition is called ‘Grown Up in Britain: 100 Years of Teenage Kicks’ and is the first curated by Londons Museum of Youth Culture to be featured outside their home city.
It will take a look at the experiences and impact of young people through photographs, objects and personal stories and includes sections which portray everyday life as well as key moments of growing up including people’s first job and first night out.
There will be pieces from well-known artists including Ken Russell, Anita Corbin and Lucy McCarthy as well as submitted pictures from families across the country.
There will also be nostalgic items on display such as a Royal Enfield Constellation motorcycle, a 1920s flapper dress and a ZX Spectrum console.
And there is a scanning booth where people can submit their pictures to be included in the exhibition.
The Herbert’s marketing and communications manager, Ruark Jon-Stevens said: “Coventry is one of the youngest cities in the UK and we are excited to see how visitors react to this celebratory show documenting teenage life.
“Every person’s experience will have been so different, but we hope the exhibition connects with each visitor and transports them to a happy moment in their teenage years – even if they are still living through them now.”
Archive Projects Manager at the Museum of Youth Culture Lisa der Weduwe added: “We discovered that throughout the eras in every town in the UK, youth was expressed in subtly different ways – so a punk in Plymouth looks different to one in Perth.
“This show will reflect how Coventry interprets its youth culture.
“We are all excited to see the outcome and with added ephemera from heroes and celebrities from the city, this is sure to be an unmissable exhibition.”
Visit museumofyouthculture.com/coventry to make an online submission to the exhibition.
