Rip It Up season traces seven decades of British youth culture

Seventy-five years ago, the Festival of Britain offered a vision of a modern, forward-looking nation emerging from the austerity of the second world war, and the same period coincided with the emergence of the teenager as a distinct social group. Rip It Up, a nationwide season from the BFI Film Audience Network running from May to October, explores how British film and television have captured youth culture across seven decades through screenings, archive material, talks, live events and youth-led programming.

The programme pairs restorations and classics — John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar in a new 4K restoration, Quadrophenia, Babylon, Human Traffic and Young Soul Rebels — while refusing to treat youth culture as a neat procession of iconic subcultures. “What we thought we’d do with Rip It Up was celebrate how UK youth culture has changed over those 75 years,” says Timon Singh, producer at the BFI Film Audience Network.

Singh was keen that young people themselves should help shape the programme.

United Kingdom

bfi, youth culture, british film, teenagers, billy liar, quadrophenia, babylon, human traffic, john schlesinger, 4k restoration