Projects

A Radical Re-imagining: the history of Merseyside Unity Theatre 1937 – 1987 is an exhibition curated in partnership with the Unity Theatre as part of its Heritage Lottery funded project. Celebrating the theatre’s political roots, the exhibition brings together archive material documenting fifty years of working-class performances and activism. From street corners to factory canteens, rallies to St George’s Hall, Merseyside Unity took their productions directly to the people. By uncovering these lesser-known radical histories, this exhibition serves as a powerful reminder that the theatre remains an important platform for challenging the status quo and driving social change.

01 Foundation, Spanish Civil War and Original Writing

02 Early plays: Anti-war, Capitalism and Censorship

03 Serving the Labour Movement

04 International plays

05 Music, Film and Education

06 Dramatists in Residence

07 Re-imagining Classics

08 Places and Spaces

Curated by Megan Ashworth, Project Archivist at LJMU Special Collections and Archives and Ros Merkin, Associate Professor in Drama at LJMU School of Art and Creative Industries

In partnership with Unity Theatre and the Heritage Lottery Fund

Graphic Design by Abi Reynolds, LJMU Graphic Design & Illustration graduate

Digital design by Anne Foulkes, LJMU Special Collections and Archives

Exhibition guide written by Megan Ashworth and Associate Professor Ros Merkin

With special thanks to: Reyha Dickson; Arthur Wright; Eva Simmonds; Niamh Cassidy; Eli Randle; Emily Maguire; Emily Parsons; Anne Foulkes; Sally Marquiss; Christopher Olive; Susannah Waters; Maria Follet; Jonathan Hall; Harry McCart; and Ed Porter.