More than 200 pieces of memorabilia – including toys, collectables, technology, music, movies and clothing – will be at the heart of I Grew Up In The 1980s, a smorgasboard from the decade that brought us the yuppie, white jeans and shoulder pads.
Those who were there at the time will recognise a world on the cusp of the digital age, when everything from entertainment to communication was set to change radically; those too young to remember will simply marvel at how antediluvian everything seems now.
“This exhibition is a deep-dive into a decade of larger-than-life pop culture, distinctive music and fashion trends - not to mention amazing hairstyles,” said museum co-director Bryony Robins. “It was a golden age of movies, with an aesthetic now being recreated in hit shows like Stranger Things, Snowfall and Glow.”
The exhibition opens on Saturday, July 12, and offers the perfect opportunity to liberate your shellsuit from the dusty confines of your wardrobe, and blow the kids' minds by introducing them to the cassette tape and Pac-Man, all from a time when artificial intelligence and virtual reality were the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters rather than a fact of life.
The origins of today’s digital technology can be found in the 1950s, but in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee proposed a new way of structuring and linking information on a computer network that would ultimately become the World Wide Web. A key piece of code was made freely available in 1991, leading to a technological and economic boom that changed our lives forever.
As a summer show aimed at families, I Grew Up In The 1980s is designed to be fun while provoking conversations. “The show explores how the way we play and communicate has changed,” says Bryony. “This was a time when teens didn’t have to worry about their leg warmers or deeley boppers being on social media, and mullets and perms were reserved for the family photo album.
“There was a lot of economic and social upheaval in the ‘80s and life certainly wasn’t a bed of roses, but culturally, you could see it as a last frivolous flourishing of the analogue, pre-digital world.”
Gen Alpha can find out how their grown-ups got their ‘80s kicks through a series of free family holiday activities. These include making your own brick-like Nokia 3120, neon-printing a skinny tie, creating an 1980s pop collage and making Lego protest boards. Grab a 1980s-themed ‘summer passport’ to tick off each one.
I Grew Up In The 1980s is at Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery from July 12 to October 12. Annual Adult passes cost £10, Under 18s enter free.
An official launch night takes place on Thursday, July 17, in collaboration with Lucky's Record Bar in Redruth and OST eatery in High Cross. Expect vinyl tracks, Polaroid booth and themed tuck shop. Tickets cost £6 (entry only), £21 to include food. Find out more at www.cornwallmuseum.org
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