Harborough at Work
Earning a Living in a Ladybird World
Harborough at Work is a family friendly exhibition looking at the Ladybird Books series ‘People at Work’. This exhibition considers how occupations and attitudes have changed since the publication of the first title sixty years ago.
We have captured work today through a series of photographs and interviews with firefighters, police officers, nurses, postal workers and farmers from Harborough. Their portraits now form a photo wall in the gallery. The Harborough exhibition was cocurated with members of our Community Connectors panel over two consultation sessions in April 2024. Their input has shaped how the material is presented and laid out in the Museum.
We appointed Amy Nicholson of Handmade Theatre, to lead a creative response to the exhibition. This June and July Amy ran workshops in the market, museum and at Robert Smyth Academy. Engaging with approximately 250 people Amy and her colleague, Suzy Gunn used their ideas, inspiration, photos and stories to create the concepts for the mural. People also took part in painting, printing and collage.
The final mural is on display at Harborough Museum until January 2025.
An important feature of the mural is that it can be split into 6 parts, which will be displayed long term at venues around Harborough, including schools. If you are interested in having part of the artwork please get in touch.
To find out more please contact helen.murray@leics.gov.uk
Explore our Mural
Find out more about the people in the mural and how it was made.
Find out more about 'Explore our Mural'
Find out about Ladybird Books
How the Ladybird books portrayed work.
Find out more about 'Find out about Ladybird Books'
Reflections from Harborough
Work in Harborough today.
Find out more about 'Reflections from Harborough'