Joan Littlewood was an influential and sometimes controversial English theatre director best remembered for productions such as “A Taste of Honey”, “Fings Ain’t Wot They Used t’Be” and “Oh, What a Lovely War!” In collaboration with the architect Cedric Price she came up with the idea of Fun Palaces. These were to be moveable constructions that would become a space where people of all ages could come together to explore and learn about arts, science and culture, a “university of the streets”.

Joan directed a film which was reportedly shown at the National Film Theatre in the early 1970s in order to promote this idea, however, it has since disappeared without a trace. This gallery explores rushes shot for the purposes of that film. Filmed in pubs and clubs, galleries and museums, air shows and stock car races, the 16mm films are a window to life and leisure time in '60s London showing the lack of options and highlighting the need for a place such as the Fun Palaces.