Join us on Wednesday 6th November for the latest in our series of month-long exhibitions, Come Hang With Us.
Yorkshire CND presents an exhibition in partnership with ICAN (The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons ) and Artists Against the Bomb, showcasing a collection of prints and original badge sketches from the archive of Leeds CND.
Artists Against the Bomb is a poster campaign calling for universal nuclear disarmament. This group of posters comprises historical and newly commissioned pieces that range across different fields: graphic arts, film, photography, sculpture, music, poetry and fiction, as well as agitprop and records of activism. Sometimes these categories blur together, but they always have one thing in common: a sense of urgency that we as a species cannot wait for solutions to come from those at the top and that only public outrage and the spirit of protest will generate the critical mass necessary to produce change.
The original badge sketches are supplied from the archive of Leeds CND member (and badge designer) Alasdair Beal. When asked about the collection he told us:
“It all started out as a bit of a laugh. Instead of earnest 1970s badges such as ‘Teachers Against the Nazis’, Civil Servants Against the Nazis’ etc. why shouldn’t 1980’s resurgent antinuclear movement do something different? Let’s have badges for ‘Real Ale Drinkers Against The Bomb’ – and if police spies are coming to meetings and demonstrations, let’s offer them ‘Special Branch Against The Bomb’ badges! My friend Helen Jenner requested ‘Cat Lovers Against The Bomb’, three Leeds CND members put up £10 each to finance a production run and the badges went on sale for 25p. They soon went, the initial investors were paid back … and Leeds CND Badges was in business.”
Month-long exhibition from 6th November to 2nd Decemeber
To find out more visit https://yorkshirecnd.org.uk/ and https://artistsagainstthebomb.org/
