The Art of Thinking about Nostalgia and Revival

"THOSE WERE THE DAYS..."

Part of Leicester's REVIVE Festival THE MODS - SHAPING A GENERATION

http://shapingageneration.co.uk/the-project/

We’re living in a time where the art and culture of the present is often obsessed with the second half of the 20th century. Whether we’re dealing with new music referencing older styles, TV shows reboots, retro-fashion, or BBC documentaries swooning over the youth cultures of the 60s, it seems the recent past is viewed through rose coloured glasses. Yet the latter 20th century we valorise was not obsessed with the past in the way that we are now. It was forward thinking and revolutionary, eager to break away from the shackles of tradition. It was that post-war period when youth had freedom and prosperity and when music and fashion collided. Mods weren’t particularly fond of their elders; elders who, in retrospect, we can see risked their own lives to defeat the totalitarians of the early 20th century.

This raises some interesting questions: Do we hanker over a generation that was less heroic and important than the one that came before it? Do we have trouble accepting that the 20th century is over, and that the oppressive social norms that were pervasive have fundamentally changed? And is the current generation simply less brave than the WW2 generation, and less creative than the counter-cultures of the early 60's?

Watch clips, listen to a talk, have some discussion led by the entertaining and insightful philosopher, Dr Greg Scorzo.

Tickets also available on the door.