The Folk of Gloucester, supported by Voices Gloucester, is opening an exhibition and a programme of events to celebrate and remember important campaigns and protests that have happened in the Gloucestershire over the last 100 years since the General Strike of 1926.
In 1926, 1.7 million workers across the UK went on strike to protest wage reductions and worsening conditions for coal miners. Gloucester played a unique role with its links to the Forest of Dean coal fields and the docks.
The special exhibition is part of a countrywide commemoration of the General Strike (General Strike 100) and highlights local people’s involvement in campaigns to improve, change or represent important views concerning local and national issues.
“We have various campaigns highlighted in the exhibition,” said John Bassett, Events Manager at the Folk of Gloucester, “including Hands Off Our Forest, CND and Greenham Common, Rock against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League, and the Gloucester Gay and Lesbian Community. There are also campaigns to save historic buildings and the environment, such as Hill Paul and the “Tesco Trees” campaign in Stroud. We will also feature more recent campaigns including the Phlebotomists Strike, Palestine Solidarity and Stroud’s Save Our Lido campaign as part of the exhibition.”
The exhibition runs from May1st to May 23rd and admission is free.
Stories that have been told will also form part of a new performance called Protest! which will be happen as part of the Folk’s ongoing Soup Theatre performances. The Protest! performance will take place on Friday 1st May at 1.00pm, where people can enjoy a bowl of soup and watch a 50-minute play for £10.00. There will be an additional “Cake Theatre” performance on the afternoon of Saturday 2nd May at 2.30pm, with cake and a hot drink instead of soup.
“The Protest! performance will retell some of the story of the General Strike and also feature the voices of the campaigns that have been over the last 100 years,” said John Bassett.
Also, on the 2nd of May at 11.00am, there will be a special talk from local historian Tony Conder about the General Strike in Gloucester offering background to the strike and the effects on miners in the Forest of Dean and Gloucester dock workers. Tickets for this are just £5.00.
Nasty Fishmonger and The Swing Rioters will be performing original and traditional protest songs on Saturday the 9th of May.
There will be a special concert on 9th May featuring protest songs from the last 100 years. This will include local and national performers including punk folk band Nasty Fishmonger from Bristol and new songs and performances from Gloucester Songwriters group. Tickets are £15.00 and £12.00 for concessions.
There are also two film screenings of special documentaries which retell the stories of Greenham Common and Rock Against Racism. Gentle Angry Women features young activists talking to and walking with Greenham Common women to learn the story of the campaign, whilst award winning documentary White Riot tells the story of how Rock Against Racism formed to combat the National Front in the late 1970s and includes interviews with many of the musicians involved including Tom Robinson, The Clash and Poly Styrene.
The screenings take place on Friday 15th May and Saturday 16th May. Tickets for film screenings are £5.00.
Finally, there will be a follow-up “Question Time”-style debate on 26th May at 6.00pm featuring a panel made up from people with an interest in protest campaigns. These include John Bassett: Events Coordinator at The Folk of Gloucester and Curator of “Protest!”; Jacqui Grange: Director of Voices Gloucester; Dr Omar El Masri: Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Gloucester; and David Morgan, Voices Gloucester Panel Member. This debate is free and open to anyone.
Listing information
Protest! – Exhibition
May 1st to May 23rd, 2026
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
Commemorating important campaigns that happened since the general strike in 1926 including people’s personal objects and stories.
Protest! – A Soup Theatre performance.
Friday May 1st, 2026, 1.00pm – Tickets £10.00
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
This new performance takes personal stories and puts them into a performance. The ticket price includes a bowl of soup and bread.
Tickets from Soup Theatre – Protest! at The Folk of Gloucester event tickets from TicketSource
The General Strike in Gloucester
Saturday May 2nd, 2026, 11.00am – Tickets £5.00
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
Leading local historian Tony Conder explores the strike in Gloucester alongside the national background, the bitter miners’ strike in the Forest of Dean and the dock workers.
Tickets from Protest! Talk – The General Strike in Gloucester at Folk of Gloucester event tickets from TicketSource
Protest! – A Cake Theatre performance.
Saturday May 2nd 2026 2.30pm – Tickets £10.00
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
This new performance takes personal stories and puts them into a performance. The ticket price includes a hot drink and piece of homemade cake
Tickets from Cake Theatre – Protest! at The Folk of Gloucester event tickets from TicketSource
Protest! – A concert.
May 9th, 2026, 7.30pm – Tickets £15.00/£12.00 (Concessions)
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
A concert featuring local and national artists and musicians to commemorate songs of protest from the last 100 years. Headline act will be Bristol punk folk band Nasty Fishmonger
Tickets from Protest! – an evening of song at St Nicholas Church event tickets from TicketSource
Gentle Angry Women – Film Screening.
Friday May 15th, 2026, 2.30pm, 7.30pm – Tickets £5.00
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
Three young activists trace the legacy of Greenham Common Women’s Peace protest forty years on and discover the alarming reality of British nuclear armament. This coming-of-age documentary, driven by intergenerational dialogue speaks to the need for hope, action and change.
Tickets from Gentle Angry Women – Film Screening at Folk of Gloucester event tickets from TicketSource
White Riot – Film Screening.
Saturday May 16th, 2026, 2.30pm, 7.30pm – Tickets £5.00
The Folk of Gloucester, 99 – 103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
The award-winning film White Riot follows the Rock Against Racism movement of the 1970s, revealing both the nastiness of the rising National Front at the time and the amazing power of music, activism and a real desire for social change at a grassroots level. Awarded Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival.
Tickets from White Riot – Film Screening at Folk of Gloucester event tickets from TicketSource
Protest! The debate
Tuesday 26th May 6.00pm – Free
The Folk of Gloucester, 99-103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
From local streets to the world stage, protest shines a light on injustice, inequality, and the causes that matter most. It has shaped laws, shifted minds, and changed lives. It gives people a voice for their deepest passions – and the courage to speak when silence would be easier. Join us for a ‘Question Time’ style panel discussion at 6pm on Tuesday 26th May at the Folk of Gloucester featuring:
• John Bassett: Events Coordinator at The Folk of Gloucester, and Curator of Protest
• Jacqui Grange: Director of Voices Gloucester
• Dr Omar El Masri: Senior Lecturer in Criminology, UoG
• David Morgan, VG Panel Member