Grunwick40 unveil extraordinary murals marking the historic Grunwick strike

Two Grunwick40 murals were unveiled today. The first (above) outside Dollis Hill Station where the Grunwick factory gates were situated in Chapter Road, the second on the bridge on Dudden Hill Lane (below) where the mass picket in support of the Grunwick strikers took place.

The work of the Grunwick40 group and artist Anna Ferrie add something extraordinary to the streetscape of Willesden marking a historic struggle of women, Asians and the trade union movement.

UNMISSABLE! Grunwick Mural unveiling Saturday at noon

From Grunwick40
 

We're looking forward to welcoming you tomorrow and revealing not just one mural to commemorate the Grunwick strike but two! 

As you come out of Dollis Hill tube station at the Chapter Road exit you'll be greeted by dhol players and some of the former strikers, and it's here that we'll unveil the first mural just after 12pm. We'll be standing directly outside the former factory, on the same pavement that the strikers and their supporters stood on 40 years ago. 

They'll then lead us in a short procession up Dudden Hill Lane (a 5 minute walk) to the site of the second mural - which is a huuuuge 28 metres long! After this is revealed we'll take another 7 minute walk back down the hill to the offices of Brent Mencap (379-381 High Road, NW10 2JR) for a short reception.

The view from the pavement outside Grunwick 40 years ago

 

International Women's Day event at Brent Civic Centre March 8th

The day will include a Grunwick40 'We are the lions' talk.

Upcoming Grunwick40 events - exhibition, film, conference

From Grunwick40

Hi everyone We’re really excited. There's just over a week to go until the opening of ‘We are the lions: an exhibition commemorating the Grunwick strike 1976-78’ – and it’s going to be amazing. This exhibition wouldn’t have happened without your support. So we hope you’ll come and visit it at Brent Museum & Archives in Willesden, where it will run from October 19th 2016 to March 26th 2017. Opening times and details are here. You’ll get a chance to explore archive images and records of the strike, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the 70s and have some fun creating your own responses to Grunwick in the creative area (kids welcome too!). We also have the original Grunwick Strike Committee banner on display with its highly unusual design – see if you can spot its influence throughout the look of the exhibition. And don’t forget, if you like what you see, we’re also offering a free travelling exhibition to schools and community groups. Drop us an email at grunwick40@gmail.com to book it for a venue near you. As if all this isn’t enough, November will also see us run two huge Grunwick events: 2nd Nov: Race, Class and Solidarity -  A screening of the ‘Great Grunwick Strike’ film at SOAS university with a panel discussion afterwards. No need to register - just turn up! 26th Nov: From Grunwick to Deliveroo – getting organised, getting unionised – a one-day conference at Willesden Library, exploring struggles for rights at work from Grunwick to the present day. Sign up here to register. They’re both free and open to all, which means they’ll fill up fast – so make sure you don’t miss out. Now we’re working to get the formal permissions sorted so that we can get our amazing community murals out into the streets of Brent – it’s taking a little longer than planned but don’t worry, you’ll be the first to hear about the great unveiling.  See you at a Grunwick-themed event soon! The team at Grunwick 40. Grunwick 40 partner organisations are Brent Trades Council, Willesden Green Town Team and Brent Museum and Archive

The Great Grunwick Strike - Film & Guest Speaker Saturday October 8th

From Preston Library Campaign

Doors open at 7.15, and the programme will start at 7.30. Our films are free, but we ask for donations which help us to run the library. Preston Community Library is in Carlton Avenue East, Wembley, HA9 8PL. The Great Grunwick Strike 1976 - 78: A History, is being shown as part of the commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of the strike. The film will be introduced by Tessa van Gelderen, Treasurer of Grunwick40.

'WE ARE THE LIONS' Grunwick40 Exhibition opening soon. Can you help?

From Grunwick 40

We are the Lions Exhibition

October 19th 2016 to March 26th  2017
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm; Saturday Sunday 10 am to 5pm

The Library at Willesden Green

Forty years ago a group of workers in a backstreet Willesden factory stood up to their unfair bosses and kickstarted one of the longest and most important industrial disputes in British history.  Led by Asian women, the strike challenged stereotypes, changed the face of white male trade unions and inspired others to speak out against injustice.

We need volunteers

• To sit in the gallery and oversee the space
• Where possible engage people in the exhibition and the activity space for families.
• Commit to at least 5 sessions between October and April.  A session can be all day or a half day.   The exhibition is open during library hours including weekends

We can offer:

• Briefing and training about the exhibition. ( First briefing planned for Oct 20th 4.30pm)
• Expenses up to £10 a session to cover out of pocket expenses 
• Museum work  experience and references where appropriate

Reply to G40Volunteers@gmail.com
Find us on     Twitter.com/Grunwick40                                          Facebook Grunwick40

The Grunwick strike began 40 years ago today: 'WE ARE THOSE LIONS' - commemoration events

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From Grunwick40

It's an important day. Today is the 40th anniversary of the first moments of the Grunwick strike – and we're proud to announce our plans to commemorate it.  We'll be running a series of inspiring, thought-provoking events exploring Grunwick and its legacy, launching with Grunwick Memories on Saturday 27 August. Grunwick Memories is a free event, giving you the opportunity to explore and contribute to the Grunwick archive held by Brent Museum and Archives. Come along and take part in a story sharing session and add your memories and experiences of the strike to the Archive. You will also get an exclusive look at some of the materials that will feature in the upcoming exhibition. Grunwick Memories will take place at Brent Archive, on the second floor of The Library at Willesden Green, Willesden High Road NW10 2SF, from 2-4 pm on Saturday 27 August. Please join us! Email museum.archives@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 3600 for more information. Other upcoming events:   • We are those lions: The story of the Grunwick strike 1976-78 exhibition, launching October 2016 at The Library at Willesden Green. Look out for the launch date – coming soon. • The Great Grunwick Mural unveiling, Chapter Road, NW10. Be the first to see our amazing murals in place near the original Grunwick site. The design and unveiling details are still under wraps, but we'll be revealing details over the next few weeks, along with the names of our special guests, who'll be providing music and entertainment. • Explore Grunwick in more detail at our November events, a film screening and discussion on “Race and the Unions” at SOAS, November 2nd, and Grunwick 40: The Conference, The Library at Willesden Green, November 26th – booking for these events will open in October. Yours in solidarity, Grunwick 40 PS: Don't miss out on the reissued anniversary edition of Grunwick: The Workers’ Story, by Jack Dromey and Graham Taylor, with an updated introduction – due out in late September.

Last chance to help fund Grunwick40 commemoration

A message from Grunwick40

We've raised over £9,000 so far to commemorate the Grunwick strikers – that brave group of workers who stood up for their rights 40 years ago and inspired a generation, changing the face of trade unions as they did it.

The work on the exhibition has started and the commemorative mural is taking shape with some stunning art being created at the community workshops.

We believe that the Grunwick mural will be the first ever piece of public art to mark the contribution of Asian women in Britain.

The mural is expensive to produce and install but we want to make it as high impact as possible. The Grunwick strikers fought for justice for all workers and now we want to do justice to them with a colourful tribute that is big, bold and celebratory.

We need your donations to help make this happen. 

This is the final week of our crowdfunding campaign and your last chance to get the fantastic rewards when you donate.

Please give whatever you can afford.

We have some exclusive rewards for people who donate including badges, posters, DVDs and rare artwork from the 1970s, so please consider making a personal donation or asking your union branch to make one. Whatever the amount, every £ helps to ensure that the legacy of Grunwick is not lost.

Please make your donation by 12.30pm on Monday 25th April. 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Thank you. Yours, Grunwick 40 steering group

PS. Don't forget to spread the word, you can help by forwarding on this email, sharing our facebook posts or retweeting us!