Story Category: Legacy

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

Creative Future is a charity that provides training, mentoring and the chance to publish and exhibit to talented people who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance. For more information see www.creativefuture.org.uk

Here’s an example of some of the work:

Flanders Field by Tony Spiers

We are such blessed beasts, we sheep, we flocks of Southdowns, we Wensleydales, we Herdwicks, we Beulah Speckled Face. What joy to be alive in 1915 and off to Flanders Fields, where, they say, the ground is so soft on your hooves and the sky is always blue and thronged with larks and swallows and the sweet, sweet yarrow, and salad-burnet and soft-brome leap from the turf into your open mouths, and there is such gaiety there and merriment and we are lambs to the laughter.

We are such lucky ones, we Saddleback pigs, we British Lops, we Tamworths, we Gloucester Old Spots, for we are off to Flanders Fields, to hog heaven, where, they say, the troughs forever overflow with skimmed milk, whey and tender carrots, mangolds and ripest pippins and the rain is warm and hardly wet at all, and there is all the mud you can roll in.

In Flanders Fields, they say the flies are untroublesome, and sing to you most pleasantly in insect choirs, and the grass is a green you have only dreamed of, and honeyed cud of buttercups and red clover and cowslips is ready-chewed for you, and rainbows paint themselves in the sky. And now the trucks are come to take us there, for we are the cows and calves, we Sussex Red, we Aberdeen Angus, we Blue Albions, we Dexters, we Whitebred Shorthorns, we Belted Galloways, we gladsome animals, we chosen few.

Italian Station Cafe c.1952 by Simon Wrigley

She sits with her back to the glass bead curtain,

upright, head slightly bowed as if she’s posing

in a way she’s taught herself from the movies,

facing the bar, getting half the attention

of the regular drinkers and gamblers

because she’s got the gift of fertility.

Then, sooner or later, a man will enter,

placing in front of her a glass of Cynar.

As a drunk calls for wine and the dealer

cuts the cards for the next game, she’ll go with him,

out of anger: towards her father’s Party,

her brother who left for the seminary,

but mainly towards her mother for dying.

Her name is Rosa, or, perhaps, Rosetta.

And when the day comes that the man doesn’t enter,

she’ll pick up her bag and cross to the station,

where she’ll buy a ticket for the streets of Rome.

The Victorian Taxidermist by Moray Sanders 

I stuffed a hippopotamus

And took up too much slack.

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

What a busy (but thoroughly enjoyable) weekend I had last week! 

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to be sent up to London’s Southbank Centre for a day at Africa Utopia. Africa Utopia, now in its third year, is a vibrant and exciting festival that celebrates the arts and culture of Africa, hosting a marketplace for independent artists and fashion designers to sell and showcase their creations, a diverse street food market and a range of fun activities for visitors to spectate and take part in. This miniature festival is curated by journalist and author Hannah Pool, who is also a consultant for our upcoming Fashion Cities Africa exhibition.

I began my visit mooching around Africa Utopia’s marketplace, marvelling at the unique and colourful jewellery, accessories and clothing on show around me. Many of the pieces on sale were hand-crafted by the designers themselves, the workmanship, level of quality and attention to detail blowing me away. Particular favourites of mine were AfroRetro’s earrings created from upcycled envelopes and Jekkah’s fabulous traditional prints.

Next, I headed down to the Clore Ballroom to watch beautiful women of all ages, from anywhere from Morocco to Sierra Leone, strutting their stuff down the People’s Catwalk, a fashion show dedicated to showcasing African influences on London fashion. It was amazing to see so many people championing their cultural backgrounds through their clothing, combining high street with heritage, traditional African designs with modern-day western trends.

Following some impeccable bows from the models and a huge round of applause from all of us at the end of the show, the Clore Ballroom emptied out, leaving me to head back up to the marketplace and check out tiata fahodzi and their pop-up hair salon. tiata fahodzi are Britain’s leading African theatre company and are currently working on their latest play, aunty, aunty, let me do your hair. Visitors of Africa Utopia were invited by the group to take seats in the hairdressing chairs of their mock hairdressers’ to share their wildest and wackiest salon stories. Sadly I have none of these myself, so opted for hovering at the back of the crowd and earwigging in on other people’s!

Finally, after another round of the marketplace, mustering up every ounce of willpower I had not to spend all of my money on beautiful jewellery and clothes, I hurried back down to the Clore Ballroom in time for AfroRetro’s fabric printing workshop. AfroRetro, a duo made up of Ugandan-British sisters Lilly and Anna, are best known for their fun fashion line which celebrates and promotes upcycling. Throughout their printing workshop, AfroRetro welcomed us into their world and encouraged us to get creative with the tools, techniques and materials of their trade. Sadly my print didn’t quite go to plan in the end (a disaster, to say the least!) but learning some new skills and losing myself in a world of paint and patterns was brilliant fun!

From my point of view, I found it really valuable to get a feel of Africa Utopia and come back to Brighton with feedback and ideas for the rest of the team that we may be able to feed into our own Fashion Cities Africa exhibition. Overall, I had an excellent day and absolutely loved spending time surrounded by people who were so proud of their heritage and so excited to celebrate their culture. The vibe was energetic and fun from the beginning to the end, and I left feeling invigorated (and extremely hungry, thanks to the amazing smells wafting from the African street food market!)

Thanks for reading, everybody! Don’t forget to keep your eye on our Tumblr page for more news, stories and photos about what we’ve all been up to as Fashion Cities Africa draws ever closer!

Until next time,
Ruby McGonigle, front of house team member at the Royal Pavilion

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

Extracted from:

Sussex and other Rhymes

by James Harvey

Published in 1919 by Hearth Cranton Ltd, London.

Booth Museum of British Birds, Dyke Road

A TRIP TO BRIGHTON

Tom:               You can’t see Brighton in a day,

You want about a month to stay;

To-day I’ll own, our track’s been wrong,

But next time we’ll keep with the throng

We’ll make the trip a special here,

At London Bridge, I’ll meet you there;

Rain, hail or snow, just bring your stick,

That Bird Museum, you’ll say is thick;

A’Thursday we will have to come,

I hear you say already, “Some!”

 

Harry:              What, just to see a few stuffed birds?

 

Tom:               Just whisper, please! Just mind your words!

You see there are so few about;

This stretch of sea, it shuts them out,

And, as for sea-gulls, what are they!

They’re half and half, on fish they prey,

And sand, and earthworms eat as well;

No song from swimming birds does swell,

Except the dying swan, they say

A’welcoming the fatal day;

These trams go straight to the Museum,

And then you’ll see the crowd that’s in ‘em;

We’ll see the “Allegorical,” too,

And for a day’s trip that will do.

Please note that although the ‘trams’ still go straight to the Booth Museum (Buses 27 and 14), the Museum now closes all day Thursdays! We are open every other day 10am – 5pm (closing for lunch 12 – 1.15pm), Sundays 2-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

John Cooper, Keeper of Natural Sciences

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

On Monday 31 August the Webb Ellis cup will be at the museum. To celebrate the Rugby World Cup trophy being on display and the four nations that will be competing in Brighton Community Stadium to lift it as winners, the museum will be offering a day of fun-packed activities for all the family!

The Webb Ellis Cup

Come and see rare objects out of museum storage for one day from the four nations of Japan, Samoa, South Africa and USA. You are invited to get up-close and see traditional Furoshiki cloth wrapping demonstrated; learn about Samoan Barkcloths, colourful South African beaded jewellery and intricate Native American Quillwork. Then, make your way to the Art Room where you can create your own striking artwork based on any symbols, colours or materials you found inspiring in these objects. Get creative and design your own Rugby shirt or flag for the team or teams you will be supporting!

Do remember to make your way upstairs to the Fashion & Costume Gallery where Japanese Cos-Play, the Brighton festival The Costume Games and popular American Super-Heroes are celebrated with the display of Christian Bale’s Batsuit! Whether you’re a kid or just a big kid, you can play dress-up and create your very own super-hero costume and take a picture of yourself next to Batman! On your way out pop into the Willet Gallery where you can have your face painted in the style of your favourite super-hero.

All these activities will be free with an admission ticket between 11am and 3pm on Monday and we hope to see you all then!

Hannah Marshall-Quinn, Creative Programming Events Support Officer

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

Less than two weeks to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at Brighton Museum

Leon Petrinos / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural
History Museum and BBC Worldwide

There are just two weeks left to see the amazing Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at Brighton Museum.

The show which ends on September 6 has been a huge success with 87% visitors who responded to a questionnaire describing it as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

Almost 100% said getting hands on with objects and talking to a gallery explainer added to their enjoyment and understanding.

It’s the first time the show has been on display at Brighton meaning visitors don’t have to travel to London to see the best nature photography in the world.

Here are just a few of the comments left by visitors after their visit.

“Amazing, brought me to tears, thank you for this moving experience”

“An absolutely breathtaking display”

“Thank you for bringing it to Brighton”

“Truly inspiring and educational”

“Completely absorbing, thank you”

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

A group of journalism students from Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) visited the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this year.

Reporter Isabelle Jones interviewed some of the people visiting the exhibition about their favourite image.

The ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition, on loan from The Natural History Museum, is now in its fiftieth year showing 100 awe-inspiring photographs of the natural world. The exhibition is currently showing at The Brighton Museum up until 6th September 2015. Under 18’s are welcome to view the exhibition for free and adults at a small fare.

Breathtaking views and landscapes, a range of different cultures, organisms and the Earth is captured throughout the exhibition; opening up our eyes to the amazing world we live in. Each image appears to resemble a non-fictional world or issue, enabling the audience to see and feel the impact of the Earth which we aren’t able to see from our bedroom window.

Jane Hornby, from Brighton, said ‘I wanted to come and see this exhibition because I love wildlife documentaries and animals. I visit The Brighton Museum regularly; however this has far been my favourite exhibition. I love the way the photographers capture exactly what I imaged each scenario in context would look like. It made me realise how little I appreciate our world on a daily basis.’

‘My favourite photograph from this exhibition was Sergia Pucci – The Great Arrival, as it captures the post birth of turtles and nature and reproduction at its finest. Especially as many turtles are endangered, it’s amazing to see hundreds of babies fleeing into the sea. This photo is a real eye opener. I’ll definitely look into sponsoring endangered animals like turtles.’

Sergio Pucci / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural
History Museum and BBC Worldwide.

The Great Arrival is photographed in Costa Rica, picturing Olive Ridley turtles. Hundreds of thousands of turtles gather off-shore to lay their eggs in a mass nesting which is often triggered by winds and lunar cycles. This image opens up eyes to witness the beauty of reproduction of endangered animals which we could help save.

In relation to The Great Arrival, a correlation is noticeable to everyday life. The baby turtles making that long, first journey of their lives to reach their personal destination of the ocean, relates to our personal goals of finally getting to where we want to be in life; whether that personal ambition is a career, a family or happiness, the image could be perceived as a metaphor for us as individuals and our ambitions.

Ruby Gislingham, 18, Brighton, said ‘My favourite photo was Dolphin Downtime because I appreciate wildlife and I feel like this captures what their freedom should look like.’ She added, ‘I genuinely really enjoyed the exhibition.’

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

Journalism students from BHASVIC (Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College) visited the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this summer.

Brian Skerry / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural
History Museum and BBC Worldwide

Here is a selection of their thoughts from reviews they wrote about the exhibition.

Annie

“In retrospect, this exhibit left me with two polar opposite emotions: a deep appreciation for the beauty of wildlife, and the harsh reality of today’s animal trade.”

Max

“Through the dinky café at the top of the Victorian stairs are a set of double doors. Inside is some of the most spectacular photography I have ever seen, a reminder that beauty is natural and not in a bottle marked “Maybelline.”

“Each piece of art sets a precedent for the next, and each piece after fulfilling that. These moments of wonder now caught forever giving an order, almost, to the chaos we live among. From food chains caught in their proceedings to eccentric weather – each still photograph of life can bring happiness just from knowing this was taken on the planet we live on.”

Ruby

“After visiting the 50th Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery I was inspired. The beautiful photographs captured the natural beautiful of wildlife, as well as its cruel reality within our society today. I have always felt passionately that animals should live freely without fear or being hunted or captured and detained.”

Ollie

“The first picture that is instantly striking is that of a young cheetah, pictured in a complete state of relaxation as it hides within the long grass of the South African outback. The intimacy of the image is truly something to behold due to the rarity of such an photo being captured, as cheetah’s are far more renown for hunting down their pray than lying dormant on the ground.

Leon Petrinos / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural
History Museum and BBC Worldwide

“Such an image, one would assume, must surely have been captured by an experienced photographer that has devoted their existence to capturing such a wonderful photo. However this image was taken by an eight-year-old, Leon Petrinos, who was on a safari from Greece. This adds far more beauty to the picture as it is fascinating how a boy so young was able to capture such an image.”

Liam

“Overall, it was a nice trip, and I saw some really interesting, enlightening, and genuinely baffling photography. I would, without doubt, recommend anyone to go and check it out if they are interested.”

Lewis

“I must confess I am rarely present in museums, particularly where art is concerned. But it didn’t take very long for me to become engrossed in the beauty of such stunning photography, becoming particularly hung up on the idea that there is a story behind every picture.”

Lara

“It is this desperate plea to save our environment that is most pertinent after viewing the exhibition. The photographs raise a plethora of issues facing the wildlife they capture, from hunting, to deforestation, to rapid urbanisation. Yet, what is most prevalent across the pictures is the sheer beauty and wonder of our planet, encapsulated in these unbelievable photos of breath-taking waterfalls; lush green rainforests, and hundreds upon hundreds of different yet equally remarkable animal species.”

Ashley

“It is an experience to see nature captured in its rawest and most beautiful form.”

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

July 2015

Well, it’s been just one short month since I joined the Fashion Cities Africa team on a Workforce Development placement from my usual role front of house, but already I’ve had tons of fun and have learned a HUGE amount about what goes into the planning of an exhibition!

Ruby

So far I’ve sat in on meetings about a whole range of things, from exhibition content to engagement with Brighton’s African diaspora; I’ve heard all about Helen and Martin’s fascinating research trips to Casablanca, Nairobi and Lagos, losing myself in the excellent photos and videos that they captured along the way; and, naturally, I’ve also done a fair bit of brainstorming about how best to share all of these experiences online with you guys!

Equally as importantly, over the past month I’ve also met some really great people with a huge range of impressive skills and knowledge, from African fashion, to community engagement, to graphic design. It’s been amazing to see how hard everybody’s working to make Fashion Cities Africa the best exhibition it can possibly be! Already I feel like I’ve settled right in, and I really look forward to working alongside the rest of the team over the coming months.

Most recently I have been clipping down and reshaping a fascinating report by Harriet Hughes about her research in Lagos, which will be coming to this blog very soon – so watch out for that!

Alternatively, feel free to head over to our Fashion Cities Africa Tumblr page to catch some brilliant photos of Martin’s time in Casablanca, as well as some equally fab photos from Helen’s trip to Nairobi and some behind-the-scenes bits and bobs!

Thanks for reading, guys! Please keep your eyes peeled for more nuggets of information, photos and sneak previews!

Until next time,

Ruby McGonigle, front of house team member at the Royal Pavilion

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

It is worth having a closer look at the glorious Chinese export wallpaper that was painstakingly removed from the Royal Pavilion’s Saloon by experts Allyson and Andrew McDermott last November. The six large panels are a remarkable survival from the late 1790s or early 1800s. They were probably produced by Chinese art and craft workshops in Guangzhou, near western trading ports along the waterfront, and then imported to Europe, often as ‘private trade’ by captains of East India Company ships. Hand-painted in ink and distemper-like colours, they were produced solely for export and became increasingly popular in European Chinoiserie interiors throughout the eighteenth century. The majority of these papers were hung in bedrooms and drawing rooms and are mostly associated with ‘feminine’ spaces and taste. Many of the patterns show Chinese flowers, trees, birds and stylised garden or landscape scenes, with most botanical elements clearly identifiable. More expensive varieties included architectural motifs and Chinese figures at work or play. Wallpapers of both varieties survive in the Royal Pavilion, with the Adelaide Corridor wallpaper (dating from around 1790) still in its original location. The sheets of paper were usually numbered and hung in a sequence, often with the addition of cut-out birds, flowers and figures, either to disguise blemishes or cover edges.

The Pavilion account books and inventories are full of intriguing entries relating to these so-called ‘India papers’ (in reference to the East India Companies). The earliest entry dates from 1802, for £2.5.0 “expended For 12 pieces of Fine India Paper”. George IV is known to have attended the hanging of Chinese wallpaper on several occasions, for example in August 1815, which shows how important these exotic and precious papers were to him: ‘Mr Crace and his men attending His Royal Highness in arranging the hanging of the India Paper and birds in Saloon, Prince Regent’s Bedroom and other rooms.’ The papers were supplied by the paper hangers Robson & Hale of Piccadilly, London, who, in October 1821, also charged for ‘A full Sett of India Paper on purple ground by Command of His Majesty’.

Around the time Chinese wallpapers were in high fashion, many exotic plants and seeds were being imported from the Far East, especially China. In the very early 1800s, when the Pavilion interiors received their first oriental make-over, newly-arrived Chinese plants were being successfully propagated at Kew. By 1813 the Royal Gardener at Kew, William Townsend Aiton, recorded a total of 120 species that had recently been introduced from China. In the same year Aiton planted the garden at Carlton House for the Prince Regent. Two years later the Brighton gardener John Furner met with the architect John Nash and Aiton in London to discuss the new planting of the Pavilion gardens, which included many of the newly imported and propagated Chinese plants. In his beautifully illustrated and researched book Set for a King (2005) Mike Jones describes the challenges of importing live plants and seeds and identifies many of the plants painted on the yellow Chinese wallpaper from the Saloon. Many of them could be found in the Pavilion gardens in the early nineteenth century, for example the Hydrangea, now common in British gardens, but first brought to Kew only in 1789.  Others are autumn-flowering chrysanthemums (1795), the tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa, 1787) and several types of camellia (mid to late 18^th century), while the Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) had been known in Britain since the 16^th century.   It is very likely that the inclusion of exotic plants in the Pavilion gardens, which could also be seen on the Chinese wallpaper inside the palace, was entirely deliberate. It is easy to imagine Regency guests marvelling at the flowery wallpaper or walking through rooms that emulated Chinese courtyards later trying to spot the same exotic flowers in the garden.

The yellow-ground Chinese paper removed from the Saloon was initially hung in Queen Victoria’s first floor bedrooms and was only installed in the Saloon in the 1930s. It was not part of the 1823 design scheme by Robert Jones that is currently being restored, although there was similar Chinese wallpaper in the room between c1802 and 1820. Assessment by Allyson McDermott found that the panels required urgent and immediate conservation work.

The Royal Pavilion Foundation is delighted to announce that many private sponsors and donations helped save the historic Chinese wallpaper. Keeper of the Royal Pavilion, David Beevers, would like ‘to thank everyone who donated and helped save this important chapter of Royal Pavilion history. If we hadn’t removed the wallpapers when we did, leeching acid from the lining and residual glues would have permanently ruined the papers forever.’ Now that the paper is stable and secure it is ready to return to the Royal Pavilion. We still need to raise funds to reinstate the paper in its original home in Queen Victoria’s bedroom. If you would like to help this beautiful wallpaper to return home, please follow this link or contact Abigail Wilde at the Royal Pavilion Foundation on 01273 292789.  www.pavilionfoundation.org

If you would like to find out more about Chinese export wallpaper, you may want to follow this blog about a conference on the subject planned for April 2016: https://chinesewallpaper2016.wordpress.com/ The three-day conference is co-organised by Alexandra Loske and experts from the V&A Museum and The National Trust and will include a visit to the Royal Pavilion with a focus on our wallpaper.

Alexandra Loske, Art Historian and Curator

A version of this article first appeared in the July 2015 issue of Viva Brighton magazine.

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

One of the exhibits that stood out must to me amongst all the treasures currently on display at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery was ‘The Featherstone Kite Flying Machine’ by Rowland Emett. It’s a piece of machinery that you turn on by waving your arm over the sensor, which is an aspect I like about it because it made you feel part of the machinery as without you waving, it wouldn’t work.

However, most of all, it reminded me of my childhood. It’s like one of your wildest dreams come to life, with a cheese grater made into a robot, pretty lamp shades used as lights to guide this flying bike and a teacup swirling round underneath a pink parasol and flowers, accompanied by the sound of an old merry-go-round. But I also couldn’t help but interpret it as a twist on Salvador Dali’s painting ‘The Temptation of St. Anthony’, like a more homemade version of the long-legged animals holding up beautiful golden carriage-like buildings.

Rowland Emett’s creation made me fall in love with museums all over again, and reminded me why I’m so fond of Brighton Museum because no matter how many times you may see an item at the Museum, it makes me so happy to know that it was once a little piece of someone’s life, a piece that we get to see. From different clothes from over the years, to an Ancient Egyptian mummified girl, they are all remembered. You don’t need to do something huge, or become famous, it’s just adding a little something different to our generation. And I think Rowland Emett captures this feeling perfectly in his machine. It’s not made for a specific purpose, just for us to admire and to bring our imaginations to life and to hopefully encourage others to do something they love.

As you turn to walk out from the South Balcony where it’s on display, look back at the smiling wooden gentleman propped up on his bike, wishing us good luck with a shiny horse shoe, and think about how it makes you feel. Emett may have not meant for these feelings to come out of his machine, but I think this creation offers more than what the eye sees at first glance. And for all these reasons, that’s why ‘The Featherstone Kite Flying Machine’, stood out most to me.

Frances Crespin, work placement at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery