"God Save The Queens: 50 Years of She Punks!" Photos from the exhibition opening night at the Museum of Youth Culture, Camden

Celeste Bell, Lauren Jones & Vivien Goldman

On Thursday I went along to the opening night party for the God Save The Queens exhibition at the Museum of Youth Culture in it's new permanent home in Camden. The exhibition, organised by the Up Yours! Collective, is dedicated to Poly Styrene and celebrates the 50 years since she formed X-Ray Spex, shattering and challenging the pre-conceptions stifling female performers at the time. Before people started to arrive I managed to have a good look around the fantastic collection of artwork, photographs and memorablia on display from a stellar collection of Punk luminaries including Roberta Bayley, Gina Birch, Gaye (Advert) Black, Shanne Bradley, Boy London, Caroline Coon, David Corio, Vivien Goldman, Caris Jackson, Don Letts, Linder, Lora Logic, Dennis Morris, Palmolive, Pauline Murray, Tessa Pollitt, Zandra Rhodes, Sheila Rock, Ray Stevenson, Poly Styrene, Virginia Turbett and many more. It's a superb exhibition, there's so much to see and I'd definitely recommend a visit if you are in London. The opening night was crammed with familiar faces, many of whom had their artwork on display - Gaye (Advert) Black, Gina Birch and Ana Da Silva of The Raincoats, Jeff Pitcher from Spitfire, Lora Logic of X-Ray Spex and Essential Logic, Mick Jones, Don Letts, Caroline Coon, Estella from Big Joanie, Terry from Kat Five, Caris Jackson, Cassie from Loud Women, Lesley Woods from The Au Pairs, Mark Moore from S'Express, Matt & Alex from the Mick Jones' The Rock & Roll Public Library and more. There were also some legendary Rock photographers there including Ray Stevenson, Derek Ridgers, Virginia Turbett and Erica Echenberg. The Exhibition organisers Vivien Goldman, Poly Styrene's daughter Celeste and Mick Jones' daughter Lauren were of course present and Joe Strummer's daughter Jazz was DJ'ing. 

Here are photos of just some of them...

Mick Jones of The Clash & Big Audio Dynamite

Gaye (Advert) Black and Joe Strummer's daughter Jazz

Don Letts

Gaye with Estella of Big Joanie

Terry from Kat Five

Artist Caris Jackson

Joe Strummer's daughter Jazz

Mick Jones with Gaye

Gaye (Advert) Black

Gaye with Jeff Pitcher - photographer and singer with Spitfire

Photographer Derek Ridgers, Gaye & Jazz

Gaye with Cassie from Loud Women and Terry from Kat Five

Gaye with Ana Da Silva of The Raincoats

Gaye with Jeff Pitcher

Lora Logic of X-Ray Spex and Essential Logic with Gaye

"The Up Yours! Collective is a non-profit community organisation set up in 2026 by Celeste Bell, Lauren Estelle Jones and Vivien Goldman. The multigenerational team are uniquely positioned to be the curators of God Save The Queens. Their combined experience spans art, film, production, journalism and scholarship, alongside lived history, direct lineage, and contemporary expression of the movement. As custodian of her mother Poly Styrene’s archive, Celeste carries the legacy and perspective of Punk’s radical women into the present through award-winning film, writing, events and projects. Lauren works closely with her father, Mick Jones’ personal archive, collectively known as The Rock & Roll Public Library with the aim of connecting that history to new generations through art, literature, culture and community events. Vivien Goldman brings first-hand experience of living through and chronicling the punk movement, performing in a post-punk band and a lifetime of scholarship, earning the title of “The Punk Professor” at NYU. Together, their different perspectives open the festival to new audiences while creating fresh connections and deeper insights for existing fans. Each will take the lead on distinct elements of the programme while working collectively on the festival as a whole, ensuring it is cohesive, multi-voiced, and rooted in collaboration. Together, they bridge past, present, and future – honouring women in punk, not as nostalgia, but as a living, evolving force."

For more information, please check out the Museum of Youth Culture web-site here.