A 1,000-year fight for our freedoms and rights: A major new exhibition opens at the British Library
Taking Liberties: The struggle for Britain's Freedoms and Rights (31 October 2008th1 March 2009, admission free) will explore 1,000 years of efforts to secure the civil liberties we enjoy today. It will celebrate the forgotten pioneers whose conviction that things can get better have resulted in the liberties many of us now take for granted.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Taking Liberties: The struggle for Britain's Freedoms and Rights ( 31 October 2008–1 March 2009, admission free ) will explore 1,000 years of efforts to secure the civil liberties we enjoy today. It will celebrate the forgotten pioneers whose conviction that things can get better have resulted in the liberties many of us now take for granted.
Guest-curated by Linda Colley, Professor of History at Princeton University, Taking Liberties gives visitors an opportunity, for the first time ever, to see the iconic and rarely seen documents and objects that have defined the political and social life as we know it in today's Britain. Some are universally important – Magna Carta ( 1215 ) and Death Warrant of Charles I ( 1649 ) - others private and personal – the suffragette Olive Wharry's prison diary ( 1911-12 ) – but all are testament to the men and women whose actions have changed the course of history, been subject to fierce debate and, more often than not, stirred civil unrest.
To make the connection between the historical struggle and contemporary issues Taking Liberties will put the visitor in the centre of current debates about rights and freedoms. A wristband with a unique code will be given to every visitor, allowing them to anonymously use their voting power as citizens in an interactive game that is related to each of the seven zones of the exhibition:
Liberty and The Rule of Law Parliament and People United Kingdom? The Right to Vote Human Rights Freedom from Want Freedom of Speech and Belief At the end the visitor will be able to see how their opinions on critical topics such as CCTVs, DNA databases, stop and search powers, monarchy, student fees and euthanasia compare to those of the rest of the visitors in-gallery and online. Video contributions from prominent activists such as Peter Tatchell and Shami Chakrabarti feature throughout the exhibition and will inspire visitors to think about what rights and freedoms – or the lack of them - mean in today's world, highlighting the fact that the 1,000-year fight still continues today.
Taking Liberties will be launched with a special late night of songs of freedom and protest on Friday 31 October 2008 ( taking place in the Entrance Hall, the British Library from 19.30-23.00 ). Performing on the night are Mark and Simon of The Levellers; Eliza Carthy with Saul Rose, electro-rap duo Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and exuberant band Roger Robinson and the Shout, plus street-protest choir Raised Voices. The event is hosted by poet, performer and author Lemn Sissay. Tickets are £5 booked in advance; sales will close 30 October at 17.00, after which tickets will only be available for purchase on the night.
Go to Taking Liberties web pages
For interviews, previews, press tickets for the opening night and further information please contact Suvi Kankainen in the British Library Press Office ( suvi.kankainen@bl.uk +44 ( 0 )20 74127105 ) or Ben Sanderson ( ben.sanderson@bl.uk +44 ( 0 )1937 546126 ).
Notes to Editors 1. Interviews with Linda Colley are available on request on Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30. Interviews with the British Library curators Kristian Jensen, Head of British Collections, and Matthew Shaw, as well as Clive Izard, the Head of Creative Services, will be available on request on the week of the opening.
2. Taking Liberties has been guest-curated by Professor Linda Colley, the Princeton scholar and author of The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh. A Woman in World History, Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837 and Captives: Britain, Empire and the World 1600-1850.
She has taught and written on history and politics on both sides of the Atlantic and reached a wide variety of audiences.
Currently Shelby M.C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University, she has previously worked at the London School of Economics, at Yale, and at Cambridge University.
She writes regularly for the Guardian, New York Review of Books and the Nation; and, in addition to her academic engagements, has delivered lectures and seminars for Amnesty International, the British Council, the European Union, the Nehru Foundation and the US State Department.
She is on the editorial board of the London Review of Books, has also served on the board of the British Library and on the advisory board of Tate Britain. She is a Fellow of the British Academy.
3. The supporting programme of events will fire up the visitor's curiosity to take part in the current debate about British political rights. Upcoming events include the Question Time-style cross-party debate Has the struggle for freedom and rights been won? with Baroness Shirley Williams among others ( 4 November ), Magna Carta: Why it matters ( 12 November ) and debate led by the Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee The rights of women: What now? ( 4 December ).
4. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.
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