Archive Reframed: The Bill Tonkin Collection
A hands-on opportunity for young people pursuing a career in heritage or the creative industries
Archive Reframed was an opportunity for young Londoners aged 18 – 25 to get to grips with a very special collection of archive materials and discover more about the archiving process and explore storytelling through heritage.
Between February and April 2026 we invited 15 young local volunteers who were either currently out of full-time employment, or looking to explore an alternative career to explore the Southbank Centre Archive’s most recent acquisition, the Bill Tonkin Collection.
These volunteers worked with our staff, partners and artists to develop new skills and gain experience of handling, repackaging and cataloguing while learning the rules of archiving. They also learned how to disrupt those rules by working with a designer to produce a zine-style print catalogue to interpret and showcase the collection.
Archive Reframed culminated in the launch of a zine-style catalogue created by its participants, celebrating their contribution to how the Bill Tonkin Collection will be enjoyed and interpreted in the future. This project is a part of our wider 75th anniversary celebrations.
What is the Bill Tonkin Collection?
It’s a resource of rare print ephemera, postcards and souvenirs relating to the Festival of Britain and its legacy.
Held in 1951, the Festival of Britain was a national exhibition, labelled a ‘tonic for the nation’ intended to celebrate the best of British design, industry and culture.
The collection is on long-term loan to the Southbank Centre Archive from the Festival of Britain Society.