The chaos & creation of the 1970s British Punk scene

Rage & Revolution

“It’s hard to explain what being young was like in those days, we couldn’t see a future. A bit like today to be honest…”

Melanie Berman

Punk: Rage & Revolution is a unique project that celebrates the remarkable story of the outrageous, yet highly creative, 1970’s youth subculture.

The Project

“When punk came out, I took my record collection into the street and smashed it up because it was the end of the old music and the start of something new. It was all just starting, we were inventing it ourselves…”

Andy Moss

Punk: Rage & Revolution focuses on the UK punk scene through original objects, information panels and ephemera, including the first retrospective of original clothing from the late Dame Vivienne Westwood. Alongside origins and influences, the exhibition also looks at punk’s ideology, attitude, fashion, music, art and legacy.

The Punk Scene

“There were lots of women in punk, Siouxsie Sioux, Poly Styrene and people like that and as a teenage girl, that was quite good to see because up until then, most of the people on Top of the Pops were wussy girls…”

Rachel Schwolf

In the UK young people, many from working class backgrounds unhappy with the social and political climate, used punk to express their frustration via a ‘do it yourself’ ethos, most notably through fashion and music.

Exhibitions

“Punk was a quick blast, but I guess that was the beauty of it. It was never meant to last, and although it was as fast as its three minute songs, the legend and legacy of punk is still relevant today.”

Stephane Raynor

Punk: Rage & Revolution, at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery & Soft Touch Arts, tells the story of the 1970’s UK punk scene through objects, information panels and ephemera, including the first retrospective of original clothing from the late Dame Vivienne Westwood. Co-curated by young people in Leicester and the project team, the exhibition also includes artwork from Jamie Reid, the artist behind the iconic Sex Pistols cover designs.

Young People's Work

“What excites me the most about the exhibition is the conversations that have taken place between the generations. Hopefully we’ve created an environment where people feel that they can talk to each other…”

Rosie Ann Boxall, Soft Touch Arts

In January 2022, Soft Touch Arts (STA) were awarded £159,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to carry out an exciting intergenerational heritage learning project about the national and local punk scenes, in partnership with design agency, Arch Creative, and social historian and author, Shaun Knapp.