Stage 1 – Awareness – Press Release, Website, Social Media – To make up for the factor that we couldn’t directly interface with the community these became our tools and they worked exceptionally well. We also additionally conducted an online survey..Release – Spalding Flower Parade project team appeal to crafters
The team behind a project to remember Spalding Flower Parade and build a new event for the future are inviting crafters to get involved.
Local artists Laura Mabbutt and Kathleen Smith are part of the Flower Power project which is being spearheaded by Chain Bridge Forge and funded by £15,000 from the Arts Council to gather people’s memories of the parade.
The parade was a major event on the town’s calendar from 1959 to 2013.
Crafters are urged to get involved with this project
The artists have created two craft kits for people to make flowers or floats at home which they then hope to use in future Flower Power projects.
They have 30 of each kit to give away, each containing all the materials you need to create a finished object.
Also included in the kits is a booklet asking participants about their memories of the parade and their thoughts on what shape any future event could takeed to get involved with this project
Geoff Taylor, a director of Chain Bridge Forge, says he has been encouraged by the positive feedback he has received so far about creating a new event in the future.
He is also encouraging everyone to share their memories of the parade and has created a simple survey for people to take part in, which can be found on the South Holland Heritage website at https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk or on the @HeritageSouthHolland Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HeritageSouthHolland
As well as a digital archive/exhibition of the materials and memories gathered as part of the project, there is also the possibility of themed artwork and of using augmented reality technology the forge has access to to replicate aspects of the parade online.
To find out more about how to receive your flower making or float making kit, email makingupyourstreet@gmail.com or search @makingupyourstreet on Facebook or @MakingStreet on Twitter.
Social Media followed including our website
Stage 2 – Data Gathering Oral Histories – Contributing Memories, photos and documents – This has exceed our expectation. From March to June 2,239 items were added to our database. These items were a mixture of old cine, paper documents and photos that all needed to be digitised. Oral Histories – https://anchor.fm/geoff-taylor
The number of contributors is estimated at
Social Media
24th Feb – Flower Power Survey – 619 reach. 9 comments, 8 likes, 1 share
21ST May – Flower Power Oral History Interpretation – 480 reach, 3 comments, 12 likes
19th May – Flower Parade web presence 248 reach, 3 likes
2nd May – Artist Kit 312 reach, 6 likes, 1 share
2nd May – Artist Feedback 315 reach,
2nd May – Springfield Exhibition 281 likes, 4 likes
30th April – Bulb Fields 624 reach, 2 comments 3 shares
12 February – Progress 278 reach, 3 likes
30th Jan – Project Start 702 reach, 22 likes, 8 comments, 3 shares
Website views
Feb – 9445
Mar – 8150
April – 6283
May – 8891
Stage 3 – Data Collection and Display – Website – https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/flower-parade/
Stage 4 – Artist Creative Process which will propose a number of themes which will be permanent reminders – Revised artist brief attached – https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/article/artists-at-work/
Stage 5 – Display/Exhibition – A thankyou event for the community so they can see what was collected and a proposal to create a more permanent reminder and opportunities to get involved in the next phase – A limited event conducted at Springfield’s but gave good feedback see https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/article/artists-at-work/
Acknowledgement
Artists
L Mabbott
K. Smith
Volunteers
C.Copes
H.Adcock
D. Turner
Donations
D. Norton
P. Atkinson
J. Atkinson
M. Pratt
Mrs DixonS Seymour
Mr Kelly
Mrs J Stevenson
Mrs Whiting
Mrs J White
Mrs Keeling
G Slinger
