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.