Communism, Culture and Society in the 20th Century

This collection contains documents compiled by the Communist Party of Great Britain’s (CPGB) National Cultural Committee. The National Cultural Committee (NCC) was established in 1947 and functioned as an advisory panel for the Executive Committee. It aimed to develop policy related to the sphere of culture and the arts for the consideration of the Executive Committee.

Included in this collection are minutes, agendas and circulars from the NCC’s executive meetings, as well as a wealth of material related to its various sub-committees. This includes files from the History Group, the Music Group, the Philosophy Group, the Architects and Allied Technician Group and the Visual Arts Group, as well as adjacent journals and publications. Together, they are a valuable resource for students and scholars who are interested in communist efforts to influence British cultural and intellectual life during the 20th century.

The collection is accompanied by three contextual essays written by Professor Kevin Morgan, a senior academic at the University of Manchester.

Our History Journal is published, as the Newsletter was, by the Communist Party History Group. However it is intended to appeal to all, whether in the Communist Party or not, whether specialists in history of not, who are interested in genuine Marxist historical debate.

Our History Journal Editorial, Communist Party of Great Britain

Insights

The collection covers the work of the National Cultural Committee (NCC) of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). The NCC was set up in 1947 with the view of promoting and policing Marxist orthodoxy in the sphere of cultural affairs.

Included in the files are personal papers from prominent members of the NCC, such as Betty Reid and Brian Simon, as well as material drawn from several of the NCC’s sub-committee’s covering everything from visual arts and psychology.

The large breadth of content offers a fascinating look into how the CPGB viewed cultural events through the lens of Marxism and tried to use culture as a vehicle for the exportation of communist ideals.

Comprising a large section of this collection is material and papers related to the Historians Group, an influential group of communist historians that explored ‘history from below’ and boasted such members as Eric Hobsbawm, A. L. Morton and Christopher Hill.

Many publications and journals of various NCC sub-committees are included in the collection, including the influential 'Our History Journal', as well as others like 'Music and Life' and 'Realism'.

The material runs until shortly after the collapse of the CPGB in 1991, with certain content showing how communist members and NCC groups reassessed the legacy of communism and tried to forge a new path forward.

Highlights

Document

'Our History' first series, 1953-1955

Document

‘Music and Life’ in the era of counterculture, 1963-1968

Document

The Communist University of 1976

Document

Files from the Arts and Leisure Committee, 1976-1977

The Archives of the Communist Party Of Great Britain: An Introduction

The Departments of the Communist Party of Great Britain: A Detailed Guide

Notable Individuals of the Communist Party of Great Britain

Editorial Board

Professor Kevin Morgan Professor of Politics and Contemporary History https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/kevin.morgan.html Kevin Morgan is the Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Manchester and recipient of an AHRC Fellowship for the project ‘Communism and the cult of the leader’. Professor Morgan is also the editor of the journal 'Twentieth Century Communism' and a trustee of the Communist Party of Great Britain Archives Trust and the Working Class Movement Library.