Music / Lost Horizon
A ‘pivotal moment’: New exhibition documents the journey of the Free Party movement
Films, protests and books have attempted to capture the spirit of the free party movement – a series of underground and outdoor parties and raves that took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s across the UK.
Distinguished by a heady mix of adrenaline, euphoric hedonism, anti-establishment rage and youth angst, these raves left a long-lasting legacy and had a wider socio-political impact that reverberated across communities all over Britain.
A new exhibition at Lost Horizon attempts to recreate just that, through a week-long retrospective that brings together some of the most instrumental people from the early nineties free party scene.
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Spinning decks – many DJs brought their own underground sound systems and cases of records – many of which fostered the sound that has become synonymous with rave culture around the world – photo courtesy of Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge
The exhibition will celebrate music, art and discussion to mark the birth of the free party movement itself and the 30 year anniversary of the legendary Castlemorton free festival.
Inspired by and working alongside the creators of “Free Party: A Folk History”, a major independent documentary currently in post-production, Free Party: A Retrospective, is at once a cultural history, a place to revisit memories, and a place to understand the pivotal journey that built today’s free party and festival scene.
The week-long programme of events will include free talks, panel discussions with Q&As, and an exhibition of photography, audio, artwork and film from those who lived it and exploring the legacy it leaves in present day culture, politics, music and communities all around the world.
Photography from those that were there will be showcased at the exhibition – photo: Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge
Party goers will also be able to buy tickets to an array of club nights from legendary sound systems of the time such as SP23 (Spiral Tribe), Bedlam and DiY, alongside iconic Bristol collectives such as Duvet Vous.
Profits from the tickets and donations will go to related causes including Refugee Community Kitchen, Spirit Wrestlers, Drive2survive, and Friends, Families and Travellers.
Speaking about the programme of events, director of Free Party: A Folk History and curator of the exhibition, Aaron Trider said: “When independently embarking on the idea to make a feature doc about the Free Party movement I had no idea of the breadth and depth of the stories I would find when interviewing people from the scene.
Posters advertising free raves have become valuable archival material as well as popular collectibles in society – photo: Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge
“As a result, I realised that the film could only ever show so much of such a rich and interesting cultural history, so the notion of an exhibition, allowing many of the contributors to the film to tell their own stories came about.”
With support from the Arts Council England, Showponies and Lost Horizon, the event will give people free access to this cultural story told by those who lived it – a story integral to modern Britain.
Free Party: A Retrospective opens on Friday, May 20 at Lost Horizon.
Tickets are available here, with more events being added over the course of the next few days.
Main photo: Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge
Read more: Art fair in Stokes Croft will raise money for ‘kill the bill’ defendants
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