Jubilee Arts were a community arts organisation working in the declining industrial towns of the Black Country from the 1970s to the 1990s. Their photographs, scripts and posters documented the socio-economic changes of the era. Left forgotten in a basement ever since, this project brought the material back to life with the help of local people.

Laundry are a collective of local historians and artists. They worked closely with Sandwell Community History and Archive Service to train over 40 volunteers in cataloguing and conserving archives, and curating and interpreting the records.

Brendan J, the project lead, said: “Using archive material is a fantastic way to bring people together and get them talking.”

Participants interviewed members of the original company, and visited residents groups and local history societies to help them understand this period.

This work culminated in nine exhibitions which were seen by over 10,000 people. Each presented material which was locally relevant and explored themes from community activism and trade unionism, to childhood experiences and education. 

The Jubilee Arts website catalogues over 4,000 slides, negatives and documents.