Jennie Lee exhibition and play

An exhibition and play about Jennie Lee, the Scottish founder of The Open University (OU) are taking place in Fife with the support of the OU in Scotland.  

The Open University's Jennie Lee exhibition is running from 2 October to 2 November, at the Lochgelly Centre. The library at the Centre is named the Jennie Lee Library. The exhibition is in support of the play Jennie Lee: Tomorrow is a New Day, by Matthew Knights. 

Jennie Lee was born in Lochgelly, Fife in 1904, and became the youngest ever female MP at the age of 24, before she could legally vote. She went on to become the first ever Minister for the Arts and a founder of The Open University.

Jennie Lee: Tomorrow is a New Day is produced by Knights Theatre, supported by Creative Scotland, OnFife and The Open University in Scotland. This world premiere of the play is presented in Jennie’s birthplace of Lochgelly to mark what would have been her 120th birthday on 3 November 2024, and then moves to the Dunfermline. 

The performances are taking place at the Lochgelly Centre on Friday 1 November at 7.30pm, and on Saturday 2 November at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. They will be followed by performances at Dunfermline's Carnegie Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 November. 

More info and ticket booking is available via the Knights Theatre website. 

You can find out more in a blog by the playwrite Matthew Knights, 'Why I wrote a play about Jennie Lee', and an online Jennie Lee exhibition. Plus, you can read our story to learn more about the OU's Scottish roots.