Artist of the pilgrim roots region, Rachel Carter was awarded funds by Arts Council England to carry out a ‘Spirit of Mayflower’ art project in the 400th anniversary year. The project plan involved going out into communities and encouraging them to take part in the artistic process. Due to current government guidance, Rachel is thinking creatively about how to maintain that wider involvement. Read on for ways you can stay engaged and support her project during this unprecedented time.
Commissioned art & exhibitions
Rachel is creating two landmark bronze sculptures called ‘Pilgrim Woman’ – a full sized one will go to Austerfield, birthplace of William Bradford, and a 50cm one will go to Gainsborough, alongside the river. It is hoped that these will be in place in time for the autumn celebrations and Illuminate parades in November.
‘The Pilgrim Woman Project’ exhibition which was due to be held at Lincoln’s The Collection has had to be postponed. However, The Collection commissioned a film about the process of creating the sculpture which will be shared online soon. Rachel said:
“It’s a beautiful ten minute film that shows how an authentic Tudor gown was created by the Historic Stitching Group based at Gainsborough Old Hall, then worn by me (I was stitched into it!) and then posed in a Photogrammetry rig to become a digital version. Then the digital version has been edited and then 3D printed. The prints go to casting to become bronze.”
Rachel Carter
Rachel has also produced a limited edition version of the Pilgrim Woman, at six inches high, just 102 of these are available – one for each passenger who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. Available here: https://www.rachelcarter.co.uk/shop/pilgrimwoman
New Podcast
On Monday (13th April) Rachel launched her new fortnightly ‘Spirit of Mayflower’ podcast! The first episode is linked at the bottom of the page and discusses Rachel’s time on a cargo ship crossing the Atlantic. The episode topics will be:
1. Travels on the Atlantic – Part 1
2. Travels on the Atlantic – Part 2
3. Landing in Canada and Block party
4. Exploring Harvard University
5. Provincetown
6. The Provincetown Carnival
7. Homeward Bound
8. The 50 Women Project
9. Becoming the Pilgrim Woman
10. The sculpture’s and locations
11. Exhibition
12. Turbulence, creating a positive form a negative
The topics of the 13th and 14th podcasts are yet to be revealed! Look out for the next instalment, launching on Monday 27th of April.
Rachel has also created a Spirit of Mayflower Facebook group. Follow this for each podcast plus additional complimentary content, such as sketches, videos and images from the project so far. Join Here
Workshops & Theatre
The creative weaving workshops have all been cancelled but Rachel has made a free online tutorial and prepped 30 kits using the materials she’d purchased for the workshops, which are now available in her online shop. In support of the podcast there will be further ‘How To’ videos coming soon.
For autumn 2020, Rachel had planned to take diary readings from her on the Atlantic on tour with a couple of folk singer/songwriters. This was to be called ‘Adventures of Two Pilgrim Women’. One of the folk artists, Ella Pritchard, has written and will perform letters from the perspective of Mary Brewster (copyright Highcliffe Music) as part of the show. The tour is on hold, however, elements of this work will feature in Rachel’s podcasts.
Listen to the first Spirit of Mayflower podcast here.