Your teenage years could become part of art gallery exhibition

A COVENTRY gallery is calling out for photographs, objects and personal stories depicting life as a teenager in the UK for a new major summer exhibition.

Grown Up in Britain: 100 Years of Teenage Kicks is due to open this July at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry - and you can play a vital part.

The free exhibition will run from July 1 until October 30 and celebrates a century of teenage life from the roaring 1920s to the youth of today.

Going beyond the headlines, the exhibition chronicles the lived experiences and impact of young people, their scenes, sounds and styles, through the archives of the Museum of Youth Culture.

Museum project manager Lisa der Weduwe said: “We’ve all been young once, from first loves to first jobs, Saturday hangouts to family holidays - what do you remember?

Championing the impact of youth on modern society, the Museum has been collecting photographs of youth and subculture movements for more than 25 years.

“From the bomb-site Bicycle racers in post-war 1940s London, to the Acid House ravers of 1980s Northern England, the Museum of Youth Culture empowers the extraordinary everyday stories of growing up in Britain. Tell your story and be a part of this exciting ongoing exploration of modern youth culture.”

Perhaps your teenage years coincided with Coventry City’s famous 1987 FA Cup win, or maybe you spent your adolescence hanging out at the Wyken Slough?

Maybe you were even one of the lucky ones who saw The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix and other huge acts right here in Cov. Whatever your era was, the Herbert wants to hear from you.

Among other things, you can submit photographs of friends, families, teenage bedrooms or favourite hang-outs, home movies or footage, ticket stubs, t-shirts, flyers and music memorabilia.

They would also like outfits and accessories that represent the teenage ‘look’ as well as gadgets, objects and other short-lived knickknacks that were once all the rage but would leave the youth of today scratching their heads.

Images can submit online via museumofyouthculture.com/coventry. Submissions need to be made by May 15.