Knowledge is Power: Class, Community and Adult Education

@ Weston Gallery

The University of Nottingham was a pioneer in providing education for working class adults. In 1922, the University College appointed a professor of adult education – the first in the world. Two years earlier, it set up a department of adult education – the first in Britain. Over the next 70 years, it worked with unions, employers, local councils and voluntary organisations, offering courses in workplaces and communities across the East Midlands.

Drawing on the records of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), University College Nottingham, the papers of Ken Coates and many others, this exhibition showcases how adult education enriches the lives and culture of ordinary – and extraordinary – people, and helps build a fairer society.