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| Poet Laureate takes on the witches | Poet Laureate takes on the witches |
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| The poor, persecuted Pendle witches are at last getting recognition in spades, with everything from a community quilt to a verses by the Poet Laureate lined up to mark the 400th anniversary of their execution. | The poor, persecuted Pendle witches are at last getting recognition in spades, with everything from a community quilt to a verses by the Poet Laureate lined up to mark the 400th anniversary of their execution. |
| This was a grisly affair, even by the debased standards of the day, with two of the women hanged at Lancaster castle aged over eighty and blind, another probably driven mad by a disfigured face with one eye lower than the other, and all ten convicted largely on the evidence of a nine-year-old child. | This was a grisly affair, even by the debased standards of the day, with two of the women hanged at Lancaster castle aged over eighty and blind, another probably driven mad by a disfigured face with one eye lower than the other, and all ten convicted largely on the evidence of a nine-year-old child. |
| Their fate has always been controversial, with even contemporaries divided over whether they were genuine conspirators against the wobbly social order (their deaths in 1612 came seven years after the Gunpowder Plot), or victims of prejudice against 'wise women' herbalists whose village medicine sometimes went badly awry. They may alternatively have been a bit too feisty for the masculine establishment or simply the victims of feuds. | Their fate has always been controversial, with even contemporaries divided over whether they were genuine conspirators against the wobbly social order (their deaths in 1612 came seven years after the Gunpowder Plot), or victims of prejudice against 'wise women' herbalists whose village medicine sometimes went badly awry. They may alternatively have been a bit too feisty for the masculine establishment or simply the victims of feuds. |
| Thanks to a detailed contemporary account, we know that the lawyers were also in two minds about the case. Other women were acquitted in similar early 17th century trials; and the judges were known to be keen on promotion and discombobulated about King James I's attitude to the issue. On the one hand, he believed that Scottish witches had tried to prevent his accession to the English throne; on the other, he had written sarcastically about the wild and worthless evidence in many witchcraft trials. | |
| All this will be recalled in s season of witch-related events which has just been given a useful hand by an Arts Council grant of £100,000 to Green Close Studios at Melling in Lancashire's lovely Lune valley. This has been run since 1996 by Sue and Peter Flowers who are practicing artists with a mission to bring international art to communities in the countryside. | All this will be recalled in s season of witch-related events which has just been given a useful hand by an Arts Council grant of £100,000 to Green Close Studios at Melling in Lancashire's lovely Lune valley. This has been run since 1996 by Sue and Peter Flowers who are practicing artists with a mission to bring international art to communities in the countryside. |
| The grant is the biggest they have ever received, and takes them well beyond their usual excellent work - Pete paints semi figurative, Day-Glo canvasses and has a strong interest in religious iconography; Sue is an environmental artist; and they both lay on exhibitions, school visits and much else. The witches project includes a new long distance walking trail from Pendle Hill - an interesting trilingual name which means Hill (Pen) Hill (dun) Hill (Hill) – to Lancaster, with specially-commissioned artwork along the route. | The grant is the biggest they have ever received, and takes them well beyond their usual excellent work - Pete paints semi figurative, Day-Glo canvasses and has a strong interest in religious iconography; Sue is an environmental artist; and they both lay on exhibitions, school visits and much else. The witches project includes a new long distance walking trail from Pendle Hill - an interesting trilingual name which means Hill (Pen) Hill (dun) Hill (Hill) – to Lancaster, with specially-commissioned artwork along the route. |
| Carol Ann Duffy has been commissioned to write a poem based on the story which will also be rehearsed in the patches of the quilt and at sessions with schools in Padiham and Slaidburn. Although contemporary politics is not involved in this, there can be no harm in learning lessons about irrationality and persecution in a place such as Padiham, which has been notorious in recent years for its association with the British National Party. | Carol Ann Duffy has been commissioned to write a poem based on the story which will also be rehearsed in the patches of the quilt and at sessions with schools in Padiham and Slaidburn. Although contemporary politics is not involved in this, there can be no harm in learning lessons about irrationality and persecution in a place such as Padiham, which has been notorious in recent years for its association with the British National Party. |
| The Flowers, whose commitment to cultural diversity involves regular collaboration with more than 50 professional artists internationally, say: | The Flowers, whose commitment to cultural diversity involves regular collaboration with more than 50 professional artists internationally, say: |
| This is the culmination of a lot of previous work. We are trying to address social issues, the role of the outsider, how history can be very relevant today. Our schools programme is particularly looking at attitudes and outsiders, how easy it is to judge people. | This is the culmination of a lot of previous work. We are trying to address social issues, the role of the outsider, how history can be very relevant today. Our schools programme is particularly looking at attitudes and outsiders, how easy it is to judge people. |
One enjoyable-sounding event is a walk by schoolchildren on 25 April to the summit of Pendle Hill where each will be given a tiny mirror to hold up and reflect light from the sun. A cautionary note about this, which will bring a smile to all of us on the dryer side of the north, warns: | One enjoyable-sounding event is a walk by schoolchildren on 25 April to the summit of Pendle Hill where each will be given a tiny mirror to hold up and reflect light from the sun. A cautionary note about this, which will bring a smile to all of us on the dryer side of the north, warns: |
| Please be aware that this date is weather dependent. Please check in the morning of April 25 that the event is going ahead. | Please be aware that this date is weather dependent. Please check in the morning of April 25 that the event is going ahead. |
The Dukes theatre in Lancaster is meanwhile preparing a new production of its 2009 play about the witches, Sabbat, which will tour nationally this summer. Director Joe Sumsion says: | The Dukes theatre in Lancaster is meanwhile preparing a new production of its 2009 play about the witches, Sabbat, which will tour nationally this summer. Director Joe Sumsion says: |
| People are drawn to the story for many reasons – ideas of scapegoats, victims, religion, social class and gender all have a part to play and when you add in superstition, magic and revenge, the subject becomes all the more compelling. | |
Sabbat will be performed at The Dukes, Lancaster, from June 7-16; Hoghton Tower near Preston from June 19-23; The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyne, from June 26-30; the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, Surrey, from July 3-7; and the Muni Theatre, Colne, from July 10-14 before returning to Lancaster from July 17-21. | Sabbat will be performed at The Dukes, Lancaster, from June 7-16; Hoghton Tower near Preston from June 19-23; The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyne, from June 26-30; the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, Surrey, from July 3-7; and the Muni Theatre, Colne, from July 10-14 before returning to Lancaster from July 17-21. |
| Details of all the 400th anniversary witchery goings-on are here. (although the website still has some of that lorem ipsum filler type. Maybe it's been bewitched.) | Details of all the 400th anniversary witchery goings-on are here. (although the website still has some of that lorem ipsum filler type. Maybe it's been bewitched.) |