Those great East End institutions The Brady Clubs are commemorated in what is set to be a superb exhibition at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives from March 14 to June 21.
The exhibition, The Brady Club – A Legacy for the Future, will, the organisers say, serve as a poignant call to action for increased funding and support for youth services. It is the culmination of an eight-year research and digitisation project celebrating the rich history and ongoing impact of the pioneering Brady Clubs.
The Brady Boys’ Club opened in 1896 in the heart of London’s Jewish East End and by 1925 the Brady Girls’ Club (which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year) was established, moving to purpose-built facilities in Hanbury Street E1 in 1935. For many years, the Girls’ Club was led and developed by the irrepressible Miriam Moses OBE JP who recognised the need for girls as well as boys to have life enhancing experiences.
Together, the Brady Clubs provided youth facilities and expanded the horizons of largely underprivileged young people for over 80 years. The Clubs became an exemplar of youth work, particularly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and for decades provided a safe haven, fostering personal growth, community engagement and resilience in the Club members.
Today, the Brady Arts and Community Centre (BACC), which occupies the original Brady Girls Club building in Hanbury Street, continues the legacy of this good work (despite the increasing challenges of cuts to funding) for new generations of young people from diverse ethnicities. ‘Brady’ as it is affectionately known by all generations who have attended the space, commands love, gratitude and loyalty from all its community.
This immersive exhibition explores the immense impact of youth provision on both the individuals concerned and society at large. Visitors will be able to engage with the Brady Club experience through digital links to podcasts and stories, by listening to music, playing games, dressing up, and sitting in the canteen environment to read youth-generated Club magazines and examine Brady Club Holiday albums
The exhibition offers a compelling showcase of archival photographs, many of which originated from a forgotten cache rescued from disposal by Hannah Charlton (a former editor of the Sunday Times) when the National Museum of Labour History closed in Limehouse in the early 1980s. Also on display are historical artefacts and personal narratives that delve into Brady’s storied past and can be explored at a listening post. Additionally, the exhibition examines an inter-generational project that addresses the impact of ‘Brady’ on both former Club members and the current users of BACC, bringing the two communities together to exchange stories and discover common ground.
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives is at 277 Bancroft Road, E1 4DQ, a short walk from both Stepney Green and Mile End Tube stations, or by bus 25, 205, or 309.
To find out more, see opening times, etc visit the terrific website https://www.bradyarchive.co.uk/