Leicester Curve Theatre Opens Our Sporting Life
Leicester Curve Theatre Opens Our Sporting Life
Exhibition
Local Heroes and Forgotten Sporting Legends Celebrated.
8th February to 10th March
2011
The exhibition is part of the build towards the greatest
ever exhibition of British sporting history to be held in London
for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Curve Theatre is opening Our Sporting Life, a unique
exhibition to reveal hidden sporting histories, forgotten heroes,
objects and stories across Leicester and Leicestershire. The
exhibition gives a taste of Leicester's unique sporting position
and celebrates culturally diverse sporting achievements, including
the long history of the Highfield Rangers Football Club, the
ancient custom of Bottle Kicking at Hallaton, an exploration of
lesser known local sports clubs histories, as well as the
remarkable fact of having top level football, rugby and cricket
clubs in one city.
Our Sporting Life Leicester has been produced in partnership
with the International Centre for Sport History and Culture at De
Montfort University, Leicester University, Leicester City Council
and is being hosted by Curve Theatre. The exhibition
explores the unique sporting heritage of Leicester with highlights
including:
- Leicester's unique position in hosting the Special Olympics
twice.
- The Hallaton Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scrum, a sporting
event said to pre-date rugby and cricket that has taken place in
the village of Hallaton each Easter Monday since medieval
times.
- Leicester Speedway, the rise of speedway in Leicester from 1928
through to its recent rebirth at the new stadium at Beaumont
Park.
- Highfield Rangers; one of Britain's most successful African
Caribbean-founded football clubs
- Other highlights include Leicester's role in developing
professional cycling, a focus on Leicester's strong boxing
heritage, a look at lesser known sporting personalities and much
more.
The De Montfort University Cultural Exchanges event in March
will also include a special session as part of the exhibition
programme about the recording of sporting heritage in the City. The
session will include John Williams (University of Leicester) who is
also part of the Our Sporting Life exhibition planning
team.
Our Sporting Life is funded by Museums, Libraries, Archives
Council (MLA) through its Innovation and Renaissance programmes,
and created by the Sports Heritage Network, which comprises all the
UK's major sports museums and archives.
Prof. Richard Holt, Director of the International Centre
for Sport History and Culture at De Montfort University
says: "This exhibition reveals the exceptional richness of
Leicester's sporting heritage; 'Our Sporting Life' shows what sport
of all kinds has meant to the people of Leicester and how it
continues to foster community feeling."
Paul Mainds, Chairman of Our Sporting
Life project, says: "Sport is a pulsating artery of
life in our communities. It brings people together and shapes us as
individuals. Sporting objects and memorabilia provide particularly
powerful and unique records of our lives and national events. Our
Sporting Life exhibitions enable people to showcase the objects
that tell the stories of their sporting lives and the story of
sport in their community.
"The best of these objects will be included in the major Our
Sporting Life exhibition in London in 2012, sitting alongside
national sporting icons and together represent the breadth of
Britain's contribution to the world of sport."