Babworth Arts Festival 2022

Description

Theme

The theme for the Arts Festival in 2022 is that of “New Beginnings” – it could be from the story of Mayflower Pilgrims and Thanksgiving, or an interpretation of something from your own experience, any part of history, or the present, or indeed the future - however you wish to express that.

All are welcome

All media types and crafts are very welcome – paintings, quilts, embroidery, pottery, etc – if it is your original work, we would love to see it.

Previously created and new works will be welcomed and, as usual, there is no selection process, and all are invited to participate – there is no fee.

Artists may offer their works for sale and there is no commission charged to do so, but this will be entirely between the artist and their customer, we do not offer agency services.

This year we are again asking artists to briefly describe their work and give some background information to it – title, media, artist’s name and whether it is for sale or not. Programmes will be created from the information supplied and these will be made available to the public at the event.

Any medium may be used with due regard to its suitability in the location exhibiting the work and the health and safety of the public. The organisers reserve the right to take down any unsuitable materials.

After the Festival, images and recordings may be retained for ongoing reference and communications.

Work for the Festival should be delivered to Babworth church between 10am and 3pm on Friday 18th November and collected between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday 20th November 2022.

Artists wishing to exhibit but who are unable to bring their work on this date should contact rickbrand@hotmail.com.

Background

The United States was for many years a haven for people seeking a new start – economically, politically, and religiously, and many took advantage of that opportunity.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free." So reads The New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus, inscribed on the Statute of Liberty.

On 25th November 2021, the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving meal was commemorated. This was a meal which was shared between the newly arrived settlers to North America – the Mayflower Pilgrims - and the local population who had formed an alliance with them.

In the first year, half of the passengers from the Mayflower had died, having arrived at the start of winter, ill-prepared for what was to come.

Members of the native population showed them which crops to grow, and how to go about it. A year on from their arrival a celebration meal took place with the settlers and the leader of the local Wampanoag people and one hundred of his warriors.

This anniversary is not celebrated by the Wampanoag people today, or by Native Americans generally. The successful establishment of the Europeans was followed by large scale incursion across the continent. Thanksgiving has been marked, since 1970, among many Native Americans as a National Day of Mourning.

Millions of Americans mark Thanksgiving as a celebration of family and an opportunity to give thanks for what they have. People travel across the country to enjoy a meal together, usually featuring turkey. The original meal would probably have consisted of venison, shellfish and cereals.

Cultural appropriateness

It is important to be aware of the cultural sensitivities related to the characterisation of the Native American People. Steven Peters, Smoke Sygnals, provides this perspective for artists:

“We are asking them to create art that reshapes UK history and culture and not native culture. The history is intertwined but simply asking them to do it from their perspective and not to appropriate native culture.”