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Posted on June 12th 2018
HGAED Chosen to Lead PROCESSION Through London Streets
We are very proud to have been chosen to take part in PROCESSIONS, a mass participation art event which took place on Sunday 10 June to celebrate 100 years since women got the right to vote. PROCESSIONS was an art work developed and created by the organisation Artichoke.
They selected 100 artists to work with different community groups around the UK, with each artist creating a banner in collaboration with the group to be PROCESSED through the four capitals of the UK – London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Artist Heather Agyepong choses HGAED
Year 9 fine art students were lucky enough to be one of the groups selected to work with the artist Heather Agyepong. Heather exhibited at HGAED in our own ID gallery in 2017 and also led a Debate Cake discussion. She loved working with us so much that when Artichoke approached her, she said there couldn’t be any other group she would rather collaborate with.
Heather wanted to focus on celebrating women of colour activists, whilst appreciating not all women gained the right to vote as you had to be over the age of 30 and own property.
Banner
Each student had a different activist to research and explore, and they responded to this through attempting to embody the spirit of the activist. Their physical responses were photographed to go onto the banner to be processed through the streets of London.
We also held a mini procession in the school (pictured below), so all students would get a sense of what it is like to be part of a protest. Students created mini placards inspired by their activist and processed through the grounds of the school to the Lower ID Gallery. We congregated around the current ‘What is Feminism?’ exhibition where students shared their responses to their activists through poetry, statements or chanting slogans.
Front of the march
The culmination of this hard work was the mass participation art work - PROCESSION - which weaved its way through the streets of London on Sunday 10th June. Six students came along to hold the banner and be a part of the art work.
We were chosen by Artichoke to be the lead banner, so were were escorted right to the front of the march. HGAED had the top spot! That's us marked by the white arrow!
Ayat said during the experience that is was ‘overwhelming’ and that she had never experienced anything like it. Safia became inspired to develop the feminist society and start a blog. The day was exciting, exhausting and inspiring, it will be an experience that will stay with them for a very long time.
"Being part of political and creative activism inspires emerging confidence and creates shared spaces which supports the development of emerging voices," said head of Art Clare Stanhope. "It hopefully encourages a feeling of pride in the students and the knowledge that their voices are important, that they can speak out and they will be listened to."
Well done to all the girls who took part. We're really proud of you all.
Before the big event we held a mini procession at the school too.
