AN EXHIBITION, Glad Tidings of Struggle and Strife: A history of protest Christmas cards is currently on show at Newport Art Gallery.

This fascinating exhibition tells the story of social, industrial and political struggle both in the UK and internationally through a unique collection of ‘protest’ Christmas cards.

The collection, built up over many years by ex- Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent and later South East Wales Euro MP Llew Smith and his late wife Pam, dates back as far as 1840 and includes items from most of the subsequent major social and political protests.

These include women’s suffrage; the anti nuclear/peace movement; anti-apartheid; Spanish CivilWar; poll tax; the 1984 miners’ strike; labour disputes; equality; human rights... right up to the issues of today, such as antiglobalisation, Stop theWar, and Uncut.

The cards range from mass-produced, party political or trades union messages to limited print runs by individual activists, strikers’ support groups or single-issue protesters.

Through the collection, the exhibition explores some of the familiar, ongoing struggles of ordinary people for social justice, human, civil and equal rights. Many of the cards are as relevant and poignant today as when they were first produced.

The exhibition also features Through Disobedience We Progress – a collection of newly commissioned radical Christmas card designs which complement Glad Tidings of Struggle and Strife.

The designs reflect the spirit of Llew and Pam Smith’s collection and feature work by contemporary artists and designers Jamie Reid, Jeff Pigott and Julia Warin, Brian Jones, Control, Jon Langford, Maurice Burns, Terry Sandhu, David J Morris, David Mabb, Chris Partridge, Robert Rubbish, Jac Saorsa and Steve Smith.

The designs will be available for sale as limited-edition cards during the exhibition, individually and as a set.

The exhibition will be complemented further with a live performance by poet and activist Attila the Stockbroker at the Art gallery on Friday, December 14.

The exhibition will continue until January 13, 2013.

For further information, visit newport.gov.uk/art