The Fabrics of Protest: A Unite Southwest Banners’ Exhibition

Banners have long held a vital place in the history of protest and collective identity. In the trade union movement, they serve not only as striking visual emblems but as powerful tools of solidarity and resistance. Often handmade and richly decorated, union banners carry messages of pride, unity, and struggle. They are designed to be seen—hoisted high in marches, rallies, and picket lines—proclaiming the values and needs of working people to the world.

This exhibition brings together a remarkable collection of banners from Unite the Union’s Southwest region, many of which were created by local members to commemorate key industrial disputes, political campaigns, and acts of community solidarity. Each banner tells a story—not just of the fight for better wages or working conditions, but of broader efforts to achieve social justice and human dignity. These artifacts chart a visual history of activism, spanning generations of trade unionists who stood together in the face of adversity.

Through The Fabrics of Protest, visitors are invited to explore how banners have functioned both as art and as historical documents. Their colours, symbols, and slogans reveal shifting view points, evolving aesthetics, and a deep sense of shared purpose. In preserving and presenting these banners, we honour the creativity, resilience, and collective spirit that have defined our nation —and continue to inspire action today.