June 09, 2026 - 253 views
A dazzling chapter of British music and fashion history is coming to Colwyn Bay this summer as Oriel Colwyn unveils a major new exhibition exploring the rise of the New Romantic movement.
Blitz Club Kids & Heaven – The 1980s New Romantics, featuring the work of acclaimed documentary photographer Homer Sykes, opens on Saturday, June 13, and runs until August 1. Admission is free.
The exhibition transports visitors back to the vibrant London club scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, where a generation of young creatives transformed nightlife into a stage for self-expression, reinvention and artistic experimentation.
For North Wales audiences, the exhibition holds a special local connection through Steve Strange, the legendary co-founder of the Blitz Club and frontman of Visage. Although born in South Wales, Strange spent part of his childhood in Rhyl before becoming one of the defining figures of the New Romantic era.
Through a remarkable collection of photographs taken around 1980, Sykes captured the movement at the moment it was emerging from an underground subculture into a global cultural phenomenon. His images feature future stars and influential creatives including Boy George, Princess Julia, milliner Stephen Jones and Steve Strange himself.
Unlike the polished fashion photography that later came to define the decade, Sykes’ documentary approach reveals the raw creativity of the scene. Homemade costumes, military-inspired tailoring, dramatic make-up and gender-fluid styling all feature in images that document a generation using fashion and performance to redefine identity.
The photographs also explore the wider club culture surrounding the movement, including London’s influential Heaven nightclub. Together, venues such as Blitz and Heaven became creative spaces where music, fashion, sexuality and self-expression collided, helping to shape the visual culture of the 1980s and beyond.
The exhibition is being hosted by Oriel Colwyn, Colwyn Bay’s contemporary arts gallery and cultural hub. Located in the town centre, the gallery has developed a reputation for bringing nationally significant exhibitions to North Wales while championing local creativity and community engagement.
Since opening, Oriel Colwyn has showcased a diverse programme of visual arts, photography and cultural events, attracting visitors from across the region. The venue regularly presents work by internationally recognised artists alongside exhibitions that explore Welsh identity, heritage and contemporary culture.
The arrival of Homer Sykes’ collection continues that tradition, offering visitors not only a glimpse into one of Britain’s most influential youth movements but also a chance to see rarely exhibited photographs that helped document the birth of a cultural revolution.
Fashion, music, identity and reinvention remain at the heart of the exhibition, but for many visitors from North Wales, the story of Steve Strange’s journey from Rhyl to the epicentre of London’s club scene may prove to be one of its most compelling themes.
Blitz Club Kids & Heaven – The 1980s New Romantics runs from June 13 to August 1 at Oriel Colwyn, Colwyn Bay. Admission is free.
To mark the exhibition opening, Oriel Colwyn will host a special Talk Photo event featuring Homer Sykes alongside acclaimed photographer Iain McKell on Saturday, June 13.
Taking place at 5pm in the gallery space above Theatr Colwyn, the discussion will explore the cultural impact of the Blitz Club, the rise of the New Romantic movement and the extraordinary personalities who helped shape one of Britain’s most influential youth cultures.
Drawing on their own experiences and photographic archives, the pair will share stories behind the images and reflect on a movement whose influence can still be seen in fashion, music and visual culture today.
Tickets are available on a free or donation-based “pay what you can” basis, with proceeds supporting Oriel Colwyn’s ongoing talk programme. Places are limited and advance booking is recommended.
Photo courtesy of Homer Sykes and Oriel Colwyn.
