Culture On Campus Exhibition 2023

Never Apologise: An exhibition from the Lindsay Anderson Archive

Macrobert Arthouse, 23 January – 21 May 2023

The University of Stirling’s 2023 Culture on Campus exhibition celebrates the life and work of one of the most distinctive British filmmakers of the twentieth century. Born in Bangalore, India, in 1923 Lindsay Anderson reflected British life and society through the lens of a series of remarkable films including This Sporting Life (1963), O Lucky Man! (1972) and If…. (1969), a poetic and surreal vision of revolt and rebellion at a public school, and one of the key British films of the 1960s. Anderson’s contribution to British cultural life extended to his work as a film critic, author and theatre director. He was part of the generation that transformed the post-war cultural and artistic world in the 1950s and 1960s.

Never Apologise marks the centenary of Anderson’s birth by opening up the extensive collection of his personal and working papers held in the University of Stirling Archives. It presents an archival journey through Anderson’s filmmaking career tracing the documentary grit, Hollywood glamour and critical struggles of a life lived behind the camera. The exhibition features fresh new insights into Anderson’s life and work through contributions from actors, artists, academics and curators. These personal responses to Anderson and his archive include memories of working with the director, favourite scenes from his films, overlooked aspects of his career and archival discoveries, all illustrated with previously unseen documents and photographs from a unique cinematic collection.

Contact sheet of photographs of the final scene of O Lucky Man! (1972)

The exhibition is on display in the Macrobert Arthouse from 23 January to 30 April 2023 and will be accompanied by events and screenings which will provide further opportunities to find out more about Anderson’s career and celebrate his work.

Lindsay Anderson Centenary screenings at The Macrobert:

If…. (Lindsay Anderson, 1968) and Q&A with David Wood, OBE, 17 April, 7.30pm (Tickets)

The Old Crowd (Lindsay Anderson, 1979) and Casting Through, Scenes From Radcliffe (Stephen Sutcliffe), 26 April, 7.30pm (Tickets)

Culture on Campus is a collaboration between the Art Collection, University Archives and the Macrobert Art Centre which aims to develop a creative environment where creative thinking and creative acts are at the heart of our identity as a place of learning.

The exhibition features many previously unseen documents and photographs from the Lindsay Anderson Archive.
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