A PERFORMANCE that features slides and images from the People’s History Museum's collection, highlighting significant historical events that led to the right to vote comes to Newport in July.

People’s History Museum ‘Songwriter in Residence’ Matt Hill whose work as ‘Quiet Loner’ has garnered rave reviews and a Glastonbury appearance, will bring a new work, the ‘Battle for the Ballot’ highlighting the story of the vote and how the democratic process evolved.

Matt was appointed to this coveted role earlier this year and set about creating original musical works inspired by the museum’s collections, all of which explore the history of working people in Britain.

Matt Hill, AKA Quiet Loner, commented: "As a songwriter, I'm interested in human emotion and people's stories. The museum is crammed with such tales, which makes it a very inspiring place for a writer. I was immediately drawn to the story of the vote.

"The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy yet it's less than a hundred years old. In recent years voter turnout at elections has dropped so I think it's good to remind ourselves of the sacrifices made so that we all have a vote.

"I’m delighted to have the opportunity to play in Newport, a City with historic links to Chartism.”

The new ‘Songwriter in Residence’ position has been brought about thanks to a grant from Arts Council England, with the intention of giving a local musician the opportunity to explore and interpret the museum’s collections through music, enabling people to see them in a different light.

The new work was premiered in June as part of Manchester Histories Festival, before going on tour around the country.

Quiet Loner’s music is inspired by the storytelling traditions of American Folk and country music but with a distinctly British lyrical bite.

His third album ‘Greedy Magicians’ was both personal and politicial and led to his being invited by Billy Bragg to perform at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival.

Catherine O'Donnell from the People's History Museum added: "Our museum tells the story of ideas worth fighting for, and this performance highlights how ordinary people won the vote, so this is a story we're keen to tell.

"We have a strong track record of working with artists to help bring these stories to life, so having a songwriter-in-residence is a natural extension of that.

"Taking these songs on tour will also be a way for us to reach out to new audiences with our collection.”

‘The Battle for the Ballot’ will be performed at 7.30pm on Friday, July 1 at the Cwtsh Arts Centre, Handpost, Newport.

Entry is £5 and is suitable for all ages.

The story of the residency is also being recorded in a regular blog, which can be explored at https://museumsongwriter.wordpress.com/

To find out more about Quiet Loner visit www.quietloner.com