Emergency Exits focuses on three wars in the 1950s: in Malaya (now Malaysia), Kenya and Cyprus. It explores the motivations of key figures, the responses of the British colonial authorities and how these conflicts affected ordinary people.

You’ll hear stories from people on different sides as they share their thoughts on the wars that shaped their lives.

The exhibition also explores the British Government’s attempts to prevent documents relating to the conflicts from being published. In 2011, following a long battle by campaigners, the Government revealed that thousands of these files were still held in a secure archive. Emergency Exits helps unpick the path towards recognition in the UK.