Archive Reframed: The Bill Tonkin Collection
18 – 25? Live in London? Interested in pursuing a career in heritage or the creative industries?
If you answered yes to each of these questions, then Archive Reframed is for you; an opportunity to get hands on with a very special collection of archive materials, discover more about the archiving process and explore storytelling through heritage.
Between February and April 2026 we’re inviting 15 young local volunteers who are 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, secured by The Festival of Britain Society.
You’ll work with our staff, partners and artists to develop new skills and gain experience of handling, ordering, marking, repackaging and cataloguing as you learn the rules of archiving. And you’ll learn 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 will culminate in the launch of the zine-style catalogue created by you, its participants, celebrating your 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 here at the Southbank Centre.
Take part
Applications for this project are now closed. Keep an eye out on our website for future projects like this.
The Bill Tonkin Collection is 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 was donated to the Southbank Centre Archive by the estate of Bill Tonkin with the support of the Festival of Britain Society.
Need to know
Participants should
- be 18-25 years old
- be resident in London
- have an interest in a career in heritage or the creative industries
- be out of full-time employment or looking to explore an alternative career
- be available to attend the project session dates.
We encourage all participants to apply to a fund that will cover the cost of a Zone 1-6 travel card to attend all sessions. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.
Project session dates
- Tue 24 Feb
- Wed 4 Mar
- Tue 10 Mar
- Wed 18 Mar
- Tue 24 Mar
- Tue 31 Mar
- Tue 7 Apr
Launch event: Thu 7 May.