J. Hackson — 1970s Were Here

2 March 2017 - 22 April 2017

‘If Luton had fallen asleep in 1969 and woken up in 1980, how would we summarise the curious dream that happened in between……’?This question was posed by curator J.Hackson, in an attempt to make sense of the charmingly uncomplicated mix of optimism and pessimism which we now associate with the ‘Super Seventies’.

Bringing enormous changes to a town that had been patterned by waves of immigration, the decade saw the dismantling and reconstruction of the town centre with the arrival of the Arndale Centre (later the Mall), Luton’s victory on the comedy game show It’s a Knockout and a brief second spell in football’s top-flight for Luton Town FC.

Curator J.Hackson appears courtesy of Clod Magazine (Luton)

Location: 64 Bute Street, Luton, LU1 2EY

1970s Were Here is organised by Departure Lounge in collaboration with Luton Culture and is part of As You Change, So Do I a three-year programme of public art events funded by Arts Council England’s Luton Investment Programme.