It was 60 years ago in July 1965 that the Region’s trade unions planned and put on an Exhibition and Arts Festival. This talk will review just what was on offer and what the reaction was from local people and in the media. It will also reflect on the state of the unions at the time. But why would trade unions want to put on an arts festival anyway? What were they hoping to achieve? That’s open for discussion and, perhaps, contributions from anyone who has memories of the event!

John Stirling joined Northumbria University when it was a Polytechnic and has been involved in teaching trade unionists and writing about the movement ever since.