{"id":78,"date":"2020-05-29T09:26:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T09:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/?p=78"},"modified":"2020-06-03T14:00:26","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T14:00:26","slug":"calverts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/calverts\/","title":{"rendered":"Calverts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Calverts was established as a workers\u2019 co-operative in 1977. It was set up as a professional printshop and design studio by former employees of IRAT Services, publishing arm of the Arts Lab, an artist-activist organisation, after an industrial dispute. In the 1980s Calverts bought their first Heidelberg press, which enabled them to raise standards and wages to get into
the commercial market. They have occupied premises in Redchurch Street in Shoreditch and are now at The Oval in Bethnal Green.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Calverts, 1980s. Courtesy of Calverts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unionisation was always an important principle at Calverts, which had a strong collective ethos from the outset. They also emphasised workers\u2019 control in their co-op. The tradition of deciding what work to take on and what to refuse continues, most recently in relation to work by fracking company Cuadrilla, which was turned down. Calverts maintained the cooperative
principle of job rotation for some time. They introduced phototypesetting by 1984 with photo-litho fonts. By early 1990s, they had full film setting; early 2000 they had full digital printing, so short run pieces became economically viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They work with other co-ops and their approach is based on the education principle of helping clients make informed choices and decisions. Calverts is held in common ownership by whoever the members of the co-op are at any time. There is a careful process for bringing new workers into membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Calverts, 1983. By Vicky Gunn, courtesy of Calverts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n