A rally in support of the Grunwick Strike, July 1977. Copyright: James Lauritz.
“We are the lions, Mr Manager!” – The Grunwick Strike Revisited 1976-2026
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grunwick Strike the Working Class Movement Library and the University of Manchester will work in partnership to deliver a project to explore the contemporary relevance and significance of the strike.
To deliver the project, we are now recruiting a group of 8-10 young volunteers (aged 16-24) who will attend workshops with curators and academics from the WCML and the University of Manchester. They will research and co-curate a public display of archive material, photography and artwork that will open at the library in 2026.
The Grunwick Strike, which took place at a photography processing laboratory and lasted for two years, has been remembered as an important moment in the history of industrial relations and for the role of migrant communities and women in the fight for workers’ rights.
We hope to utilize the insights and perspectives of young co-curators to challenge and better understand the narratives of the strike and its relevance today.
Workshop sessions will run from November 2025 to May 2026, alongside staff from the WCML, University of Manchester and other cultural organisations. There will be a minimum of 10 sessions.
Key dates:
Deadline to apply – Friday 17th October at 12 noon.
First session at the Working Class Movement Library – Wednesday 12th November
Second session at the Working Class Movement Library – Wednesday 19th November
Third session at the Working Class Movement Library – Wednesday 3rd December
Future dates from January onwards will be announced upon the start of the project.
To make an application
You can make an application to take part in the project here.
The project is funded by the University of Manchester Humanities Strategic Civic Engagement Fund.