SocialGallery

26/03/2026

I’m really pleased to be leading a series of guided walks in Leicester this year, inspired by my books High Flying Around and Mods: Two City Connection, as well as the Mods: Shaping a Generation exhibition held at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery in 2019.

These walks explore Leicester’s Mod scene and wider youth culture, uncovering the places, people and stories that helped define a generation, from clothes and scooters to the music, venues and energy that shaped the city’s identity in the 1960s.

Whether you remember it first-hand or are discovering it for the first time, it’s a chance to experience this part of Leicester’s history in a new way, right where it happened.

The Mods are up first - click the link below for bookings:
https://www.leicestermuseums.org/WeAreTheMods

10/03/2026

Dig into Leicester’s past, present and future at our Celebration of Heritage 2026.

Join us on Saturday 21 March for a free, family-friendly day at the University of Leicester. Explore the campus, meet our students and staff, try hands-on activities (including an archaeological dig pit!), and discover research shaping life today and tomorrow.

With 50+ local organisations, a brand-new University Heritage Discovery Zone, and the final day of Literary Leicester, there’s something for every age and curiosity.

25/01/2026

Last Tuesday, in partnership with BrightSparks Arts we held a launch event at the Leicester's new Creative Health and Heritage Centre at Glenfield Hospital for The Present Tense Project.

The project worked with participants attending the weekly ArtsCafe Sessions at The Bradgate Mental Health Unit, between November '25 and January '26, using creativity and art to explore the changing attitudes to mental health between the 1980s/1990s and now.

The artwork created was presented on pop-up banners so the exhibition can tour to different venues in the future.

It was also an opportunity for guests to explore the amazing collection of historical hospital and health-related artefacts that the centre holds.

hashtag and follow the development of the Creative Health and Heritage Centre over the next couple of years, as a space for health, heritage and creativity!

The exhibition is open on Friday 30/1/26, 6/2/26, and 13/2/26 - 10-4pm. The Creative Health and Heritage Centre is situated on the Glenfield Hospital site 'behind the Mansion House' - What3Words is allow.closer.method

The project was made possible through funding by and Cultural Ambition Fund.

Joe Nixon Christina Wigmore

05/01/2026

Social Gallery has been working with BrightSparks Arts and participants who attend the Bradgate Mental Health Unit's weekly ArtsCafe sessions, to create the Present Tense pop-up exhibition. The artwork they have created compares changing attitudes to mental health between the 80/90s and now through art and creative expression.

The project has kindly been funded by Cultural Ambition Fund.

We have a public open launch event (with refreshments) on Tuesday 20th January '26, 2-3pm, at the newly opened Creative Health and Heritage Centre within the Glenfield Hospital grounds.

All welcome, please rsvp to [email protected] if you would like to attend.

Directions and parking/travel info will be shared with attendees nearer to the date.

The exhibition is open on four Fridays after the launch event on 23, 30 Jan & 6 & 13 feb 10-4pm.

18/10/2025

HIGH FLYING AROUND VOLUME II BOOK LAUNCH
The launch of my new book, High Flying Around Volume II, will take place at the Exchange Bar, 50 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1RD (next to Curve Theatre) on Saturday November 8th between 2pm-4pm (there's an NCP car park just around the corner on Halford Street). Book costs £14.99, cash only, no cards. Everyone welcome, come along and enjoy the music, meet old friends and make new ones. Hope you can make it!

20/08/2025

Were you at LIVE AID 1985? Did you work on the crew, help with the production, or watch from the crowd or on TV? We’d love to hear from you! Oh, and did you know this Live Aid Leicester connection?

https://socialgallery.co.uk/live-aid-leicester/

07/08/2025

The team at Social Gallery recently lost a partner, mentor and friend. We’ve written a tribute for Roger K Burton, the Leicester born fashion legend, described as "The Punkest Mod."
The Horse Hospital

https://socialgallery.co.uk/roger-k-burton-1949-2025-the-punkest-mod/

18/07/2025

When a long-lost roll of film was discovered and developed by our steering group member Wayne Large, it reunited a family with its past.

Read the full story about this uncovered "Forgotten Frame":

https://socialgallery.co.uk/projects/forgotten-frames-a-long-lost-film-roll-reunites-a-familys-past/

26/06/2025

Fantastic news for Social Gallery! Thanks to a Public Heritage Fund grant from LAHS, we have been able to purchase podcast equipment which will help us record the story of Leicester's music and art scene. Read more below...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18mNF6WMJ2/

📣 Funding Announcement! 📣 The LAHS Public Heritage Fund is pleased to announce a grant towards podcast equipment for a new project from .uk

Social Gallery is a community interest company which aims to improve wellbeing and social connection through creative projects. Their work engages communities and individuals with shared experiences in social history projects, leading to the co-creation of exhibitions, films, books and events.

Social Gallery will develop a podcast which focuses on individuals from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s who participated in Leicester’s music, art and creative/cultural scenes. Hippies, teddy boys, mods, rockers, punks, casuals, skinheads, musicians and artists to name but a few all have a story to tell about Leicester’s rich and varied cultural scene and the aim is to capture those stories for future generations to learn from and enjoy before it's too late.

For further details visit www.lahs.org.uk/news/lahs-public-heritage-fund-grant-for-the-social-gallery #

We can't wait to share further details once the project is up and running!

Image: The Social Gallery Directors. From left to right, Joe Nixon, Christina Whigmore, Shaun Knapp (2025). Photo provided by Shaun Knapp.

13/05/2025

We've just entered the competition thanks to Enterprise Nation Fingers crossed!

10/05/2025

Reminder of our Scrapbook Social Session this morning from 11am-2pm. Come along and share your memories if you were young in Leicester in the 1980s.

https://socialgallery.co.uk/projects/80s-remixed-scrapbook-social-sessions/