Telling Tales: Banner
Project Title:
Telling Tales: Banner
Project Location:
Wednesbury
Date of Project:
May 2007 - September 2007
Project Participants:
- Wednesbury Town Team
- Wednesbury Residents
- Wednesbury Library Jewellery Group
- Wednesbury Library
- Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery
Artists:
Clare Thornton
Trevor Pitt
Brendan Hawthorne
Project Funders:
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
Sandwell Partnership
Sandwell MBC
Project Overview:
Wednesbury has a rich heritage, featuring Vikings, industry and vital transport networks and WednesburyTown Team wanted to give residents the opportunity to celebrate and make visible some of the town’s social history and the less well known historical landmarks.
Multistory commissioned local artist, Clare Thornton, to talk with residents about their town; how would they describe it; what would they celebrate and share about the town, its landmarks, landscapes and histories.
From these conversations emerged the creation of the Wednesbury Community Banner, made by Clare and a team of talented local craftswomen, including Lyndsey- Ann Parker, June Francis, Christine Felton, Bentley Noble and members of the award-winning Wednesbury Library Jewellery Group.
The banner celebrates the skills, pride and energy of Wednesbury town and its folk and features a number of landmarks that were nominated by residents during Clare’s discussions, including the old art deco cinema (which is now a bingo hall with a real sense of community), the clock tower, the windmill, the metal horse sculpture, the canal and the power networks which mirror the community networks (in fact, the markings on the arm in the centre of the banner are not muscles but the Bescott Sidings railway tracks).
Local people were involved in every aspect of the creation of the banner including the commissioning of local poet Brendan Hawthorne to write a verse that was embroidered on the banner. It has been used at various events across the borough and we want local people, community groups and community centres to continue to use it and add to it so that it changes and grows with the town. The banner can be borrowed for local public events; contact Sandwell MBC’s Communituies Unit on 0121 569 3152 for more information.
Below are a selection of photographs taken at the Telling Tales: Banner project launch held in Wednesbury Town Centre.
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