The Wakefield Pageant of 1933 was developed to bring the community together and support local businesses. The history of Wakefield and the wider UK was re-enacted over a several day period with local people playing parts such as Roman soldiers, Queens and even Dick Turpin. The pageant encouraged people to look to the future as well as the past.

 

Working co-creatively with the young people, a research based design was developed using one of the main pageant characters - The Spirit of Wakefield. This character was to be the central focal point of the installation. She is wearing a dress made from a 1930's pattern on a hand crank 1920's sewing machine. The dress features printed images from the pageant as well as hand embroidered names of those who worked to deliver the pageant.

 

The Spirit holds a scroll that details those businesses who were in Wakefield at the time of the pageant, images of their products or logo. The scroll also details the running order of the pageant. 

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In front of the Spirit are textile sculptures relating to businesses that came after the pageant and behind the Spirit are objects from the museum collections that are relevant to businesses at the time of the pageant. 

The pageant encouraged people to look to the future and so the young people embroidered their hopes and dreams on to mini banners which are hung above the Spirit. 

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I was responsible for all elements of project management including budget, marketing, recruitment and workshop delivery. Installation of the work was completed with curators and myself. This project involved working with young people from diverse backgrounds, including those with additional needs.