THE FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN 1951 By John Kirby (taken 'A List of Information Sources' published in 1991)
(Enquiries for copies go to: "PAVIC Publications", Library & Learning Resources, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield.)
It is surprising that so little critical and evaluative material has yet been written on the Festival. Apart from two articles in "Block" most of the items written since the event have been descriptive, and even where some critical analysis is provided it is of limited extent. Little consideration has been given to the Festival's impact on the country as a whole. Emphasis has rightly been on the major Festival events, on the South Bank, at Kelvin Hall etc, but there is also a need for a much broader evaluation of the Festival as a national phenomenon which is remembered, for good or bad, by everyone old enough to have been conscious of it! Philip Pacey has identified the concept of 'family art' (Family Art, Polity Press, 1989); activities which are important, not necessarily because they are done well, but because they are done at all. For example the singing of "Happy Birthday" at a child's party is unlikely to be of a professional standard; the importance is that it is a participative ritual done on that occasion. I believe that the Festival of Britain activities outside the main official events had the same role at a national level. They were the family art of the British people; frequently amateurish, generally parochial in outlook, often washed out by the rain, nevertheless they made an impact on those who participated and gave a sense of belonging. The pageants, galas and performances of patriotic productions such as "Merrie England" provided a cultural consciousness that has not been repeated since.
* "Block": 1985/6 1 pp53-69: "Designing desire; planning, power and the Festival of Britain" by Owen Gavin & Andy Lowe; and 1985/6 1 pp 48-52: "One continuous interwoven story; the Festival of Britain" by Barry Curtis.
The Festival was also of course a major showcase of architecture and design. In addition to the Lansbury neighbourhood in Poplar there were 'live architecture' exhibitions in the new towns such as Harlow and the opportunity to see (if not to buy) the furniture styles that would replace wartime Utility during the early 1950's. The London Co-Operative Society's furnished flat in the Lansbury development and similar exhibits on the South Bank provided for the first time in over a decade the chance to show a home decorated and furnished in a coherent manner, with furniture bought for the purpose; it was a manifesto for the way innteriors could look as opposed to the hotch-potch of furniture that filled most houses in the immediate post-war period.
The Festival encouraged the arts at every level and many of today's arts festivals have their origins in 1951. It was an opportunity to parade the great art of the past and to exhibit the work of contemporary artists, not just in formal exhibitions but in the use of art in many public places and in the involvement of artists in the decoration of the South Bank.
Finally there is the political, economic and social role of the Festival. There is no doubt that the expenditure on the major exhibition sites had a beneficial effect on industry and construction, and that there was considerable income from tourism that the Festival generated, both from British and overseas visitors. In social terms the Festival provided a focus of good news and good feeling at a time when the morale of the British people was low. Despite being on the winning side in 1945 most people's conditions during the late 1940's continued to be restricted; raioning of basic foodstuffs was at times even worse than during the war and bitter weather during the winters at the end of the decade, coupled with inadequate fuel supplies, did not encourage an optimistic outlook. By contrast, the Festival provided a stimulus to optimism, even though it provided it on a cyncial basis! With hindsight it cann be seen as the turning point which, coupled with the coronation celebrations of 1953, set the tone for the next decade."
An additional note taken from his comments on Documents, all 1412 of them in the collection of Sheffield Hallam University!
"Until there is another similar-sized extravaganza in the United Kingdom the Festival of Britain will remain an important landmark for the study of every aspect of our culture mid-(i.e. 20th) century and it will probably continue to generate documentation of all kinds well into the next century." Comment: Spoken like a true librarian! It may not have generated many more 'documents', but it has generated this web-site as a source of reference material outside "A Tonic to the Nation".
Reproduced by permission from Sheffield Hallam University's Learning Centre, Psalter Lane Campus, Sheffield S11 8UZ