THE EXPERIENCE 

As one of the many Arts organisations emerging from eighteen months of pandemic isolation, our path of growth halted and the prospect of large public gatherings representing a general health risk. It was not good news for a team of Carnival and Street art performers. Nonetheless we were already concerned about the direction we should take to be sustainable, relevant and diverse before the real impact of Covid 19 became apparent, and were immersed in the development of a former town centre department store in Ryde, Isle of Wight. So the discussion about bringing life back into the High Street was already of some concern to us.

Of some of the greatest projects Shademakers have been involved with, the Thames Festival has been one of the finest. To experience a World City feel like home makes the heart swell with pride and self confidence abound. It was therefore of utmost pleasure to have received the phone call from Adrian Evans in his role of Pageant Master of the Platinum Jubilee Parade. Of course we agreed to everything, once the instruction to ‘pull out all the stops’ was made. It felt more like a rescue than a project proposal, but this was more than anything we have ever known. It bound us all together, all those disparate strings and loose ends all seemed to be woven. It took what seemed to be no time at all before the group pulled together to draw up plans, contacts and designs. In time we would get to know our team better than before because this job was bigger than we would ever have to do. It mattered because it was ultimately about us in the World together with her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and we are all Elizabethans. We developed a bucolic theme based around Heraldic beasts with an entourage of lower order creatures to represent the panoply of society through folkloric myths, tales and legends, giving a basis for narrative. The narrative in turn provided an impetus for section rehearsals defined in the later stages as England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We designed and created new original costume embarking on new techniques and kinetic framework revisiting the concept of dancing sculptures, whilst retinue costume contained symbolic message, comic and signal elements known to the section members who built friendship and association during the rehearsal phase.

As the team adopted their individual roles, the younger members took control of social media, film work, recording data and public relations. Specific roles could be protected in isolation which made the production and administration process much easier and oddly relaxed periods where designated target points were reached.

Shademakers presence on the Isle of Wight is now in its tenth year. An opportunity to express the importance of the World event to the Island community was not about to be missed. Our working relation to the Isle of Wight Council is enhanced with the DCMS agreement to support the building base ‘Department’. We have negotiated our inclusion of the Platinum Parade Heraldic Beasts in three significant Island Carnivals in Ryde, Sandown and Newport. It represents an opportunity for performers to meet again and include new members since the appearance on television around the World.

We do sense a kick start into a new place simply because that deflated feeling which follows a euphoric life changing moment. It was short lived and we have bounced straight back to work. We were pleased with our partners who provided the musical accompaniment and we will meet them again and talk of that moment, but life will never return to pre Covid normality. However, we are prepared for the radical monumental moment, for the glorious celebration of life and forever watch the TV moment when young prince Louis shout ‘fox’ to his mum when Shademakers appeared at the QVM.