Outdoor Gallery
The Legacy of Welfare State International
An outdoor photography exhibition by Mikael Techane
Discover the story of Welfare State International (WSI), one of Britain’s most influential experimental theatre collectives, in this outdoor photography exhibition set in the heart of the University of Bristol campus at Royal Fort Gardens.
About the exhibition
This exhibition explores how the Welfare State International archive continues to inspire new ideas today.
Welfare State International (WSI) was a radical group of artists active from 1968. They believed that art should be integral to everyday life. Working with communities across the UK and beyond, they created lantern parades, outdoor performances, and large-scale celebrations.
Created by photographer and filmmaker Mikael Techane, the exhibition presents portraits of people who care for and engage with the archive today. It highlights those who work with and build on it in creative ways, including artists, researchers, archivists, and local communities.
The exhibition also shows how WSI’s ideas find new meaning through contemporary collaborations, including research projects supported by Brigstow Institute Seedcorn funding. Featured projects include:
Using Processional Arts to Explore Irish Diasporic Memory
Exploring what it means to be Irish in Bristol, past and present.
OK to Play
Investigating how children and families experience their neighbourhoods, including ideas of play, safety, and community.
Page Against the Machine: AI and Poetry (II)
Bringing together poetry, technology, and critical thinking.
Whispers from the Archive
Using letter-writing and archival material to explore how people living with chronic conditions can share their experiences.
Learn more about the Brigstow Institute on their website
About the archive
The Theatre Collection has carefully catalogued and conserved the WSI archive, with funding from the Wellcome Trust.
Learn more by visiting the Welfare State International pages on the Theatre Collection website.