The Institute of Historical Research, part of the University of London, is currently working on exciting and wide-ranging historical podcast series called Leading Labour. There is also a plan to create a booklet on the project, which would contain the portraits, an overview of the episode, and interesting quotes.
The series is made up of over 60 interviews with historians and politicians, and has an episode on each former Labour Party leader from Clement Attlee, establishing the NHS in the 1945-51 government, up to Keir Starmer, including Gordon Brown, Neil Kinnock, and former Home Secretaries, David Blunkett, Alan Johnson, Jacqui Smith, among others. It is anticipated that the series will have a wide listenership, given the recent and current social and political developments and consequent surge of interest in history.
This project is led by the historian Isobel Conn, who wishes to involve students in the project. A student from the Royal Academy of Music has composed the music for the podcast. She is currently looking for artists to create a different portrait of each Labour leader for the cover for each episode, to highlight different artists. Each artist would be credited in the episode notes, as well as displaying their art, and name, on the website.
Project overview and dates
There will be 12 black and white portraits in total. The portraits will be imposed on a red background and used for the individual episodes for that leader – for logos, to be displayed on phones and laptops.
The aim is to get variety of different styles – so the size and technique are free choice, but all portraits should be in black and white with clearly defined lines which will stand out when the portrait is edited onto a red background for the podcast artwork.
16 November – Expressions of interest including an example of relevant work.
Review and feedback by Isobel.
Tentative deadline for the artworks would then be discussed individually with Isobel.
Please send your expressions of interest and any queries to Isobel Conn isobel.conn@sas.ac.uk
