Luxonline Histories:1980-1989

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The 1980s were marked by an increasing diversity of concerns and forms. A distinct separation had occurred between film and video makers, and television broadcast appeared as a viable medium for artists with the advent of Channel Four. Against the background of Thatchers conservative policies, clause 28, the Toxteth riots and the spectre of AIDS; issues of identity became a significant concern for artists, which lead to the formation of organisations such as Sankofa and Black Audio Film Collective.

Written and researched by Tom Roberts.

Still from In Our Hands, Greenham by Tina Keane, 1984

KEY EVENTS: 1980-1989

	1980		Video Artist on Tour, Art Council of Great Britain (the scheme ends in 1986)

	1980		About Time: Video, Performance and Installation by Women Artists, ICA, London and Arnolfini, Bristol

	1981		A Certain Sensibility, Cerith Wynn Evans and John Maybury, ICA

	1981		First issue of Undercut magazine

	1981		The first National Festival of Independent Video at South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell, which continues until 1988.

	1981		Video Installations, LVA at the AIR Gallery, London

	1981		Film, Video, Performance, Installation, Tate Gallery London

	1982		The ACTT Workshop Declaration provides financial security and new audiences for independent film and video workshops

	1982		Independent Video magazine first Published (later Independent Media ) at South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.

	1982		Channel 4 begins broadcasting with a remit to support innovative work

	1983		Sankofa and Black Audio Film Collective founded.

	1983		Video Installations Show, LVA at the Air Gallery, London

	1983		Recent British Video, The Kitchen, New York, selected by Stuart Marshall

	1983		Video Art: a History, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

	1983		Film and Video Umbrella founded to commission touring programmes of artists work

	1984		British/Canadian Video Exchange, A Space / Arc, Toronto

	1984		Cross Currents: 10 Years of Mixed Media, Royal College of Art, London

	1984		Publication of the second LVA distribution catalogue

	1984		The first regular venue for video in a nightclub and the birthplace for Scratch video opens at The Fridge, Brixton London

	1984		Ian Breakwell's Continuous Diary and Dadarama series are broadcast on Channel 4. Produced by Anna Ridley

	1984/7		British International Super 8 Festivals, Leicester

	1985		Housewatch event Cinematic Architecture for Pedestrians, London

	1985		The Angelic Conversation by Derek Jarman

	1985		Series of three programmes for Channel 4 TV titled The Eleventh Hour, produced by Triple Vision

	1985		Subverting Television: Deconstruct/Scratch/ Alter Image at Time Based Arts, Amsterdam and touring

	1985		The British Art Show, ACGB touring show with an installation and videotapes

	1985		Video art shown for the first time at the London Film Festival, NFT

	1985		The New Pluralism exhibition, Tate Gallery. British film and video 1980-85

	1985		Belshazzar's Feast by Susan Hiller broadcast on Channel 4

	1986		Ghosts in the Machine, 6 part series of artists' film and video, Channel 4

	1986		Gilbert and George win the Turner prize with mix of performance, photography and video

1986		Scanners LVA at the Air Gallery, London

1986		Events Space 1 Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, Video installations and performances

1986		Network 21, pirate TV station transmits from South London.

1986		Channel 6, LVA/ICA,London/Bracknell Video Festival/London Filmakers Corp.

1987		Pirate TV station Network 21 broadcasts film and video art to the London area

1987		The Elusive Sign: British Avant-Garde Film and Video 1977-1987, Tate Gallery

1989		First Video Positive festival, Liverpool

1989		London Video Arts/London Video Access. After a protracted legal argument with John Cleese's Video Arts Company, LVA changed its name to London Video Access

1989		Hi Beam, Tate Gallery, London

1989		National Review of Live Art, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow

1989		Ghosts in the Machine, Channel 4 TV. Second series of the video art showcase produced by John Wyver.

1989		Video at the London Film Festival, Museum of the Moving Image

1989		The 11th Hour, Channel 4 TV and ACGB. A new collaborative scheme launched for commissioning experimental film and video

1989		Festival of Independent Video, South Hill Park, Bracknell. Annual festival

1989		The Arts for Television and Revision, Tate Gallery, London

1989		Air Time, Air Gallery London. Retrospective show of British video art mounted to mark the closing of the AIR Gallery

1989		Vis a Vis Festival, Camden Arts Centre/The Diorama, London.

1989		The Artists in Spectacolour, Piccadilly, London.