A talk about the life and times of the flower child dance troupe known as the Exploding Galaxy, who lived as a commune in Dalston. In this talk, Jill Drower links London’s hippies back to their family wartime experiences - the Blitz, rationing and ‘make do and mend’, as well as to a host of other influences that made the British counterculture what it was. Starting in a night club in March 1967, and led by the now world-famous artist David Medalla, the group grew in size and notoriety until the end of 1968. During this time, they developed from semi-naked writhing on stage to becoming a living artwork, and an aesthetic experiment. The inhabitants at 99 Balls Pond Road were extremely concerning to mainstream society and the authorities. Reaction led to tabloid condemnation, bricks through the window and police plantings . Following these relentless attacks, the group started to disperse. By the end of 1968 the troupe had largely broken up. The house was sold in early 1969.