Royal School of Needlework Degree Students have collaborated with international artists, Neil Musson and Jono Retallick, to help create a unique, high flying artwork, which brings stories of a local community to life through needlework.
The project, ‘Fields of EveryWhen’ by musson+retallick, has engaged with the community of Thamesmead, inner London, over a period of two years and takes the historic form of a 25-metre high hot air balloon. The artwork consists of two parts, local stories converted into embroidery and the hot air balloon displaying those embroideries.
The hot air balloon showcases 200 designs which have been collaged together and digitally enlarged onto 800 metres of balloon fabric to form an incredible ‘floating gallery’. The balloon will fly five times over Thamesmead this summer as a ‘performance’.
Angie Wyman, Degree Course Leader at the Royal School of Needlework said: “Our Degree Students were really moved by the stories of the Thamesmead local community and it was extremely interesting to see how they translated them, not only in their designs but also in their chosen embroidery techniques. It was wonderful to bring these unique stories to life with the art of hand embroidery and for the person who shared their story to see how it had been interpreted by the student.”
Neil Musson said: “It has been a pleasure working with students from the RSN on our Fields of EveryWhen project. We have been really impressed by the way in which the students have interpreted personal stories as embroideries, especially given the sensitive nature of some of the content. The wide variety of approaches and creative styles will really enhance the sculptural hot air balloon which will fly the stories of Thamesmead this summer.”
Fields of EveryWhen is a celebration of social and cultural interaction, highlighting the landscape, buildings and history of the area through its community, and strengthening the area’s reputation as a growing creative quarter of London. To see the artworks created and the stories that they relate to, as well as information about the project and balloon flights, visit www.g-foew.art
The BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery is the only degree in hand embroidery in Europe and is taught at the magnificent Hampton Court Palace by the Royal School of Needlework. RSN Degree Students immerse themselves in contemporary and traditional hand embroidery techniques for fashion, costume, interiors and textile art. The RSN’s long established industry links provide opportunities for its students to engage with live projects throughout the year, such as the Fields of EveryWhen collaboration. Additional collaborations include artist PJ Harvey, also in 2022, and E. Tautz Creative Director Patrick Grant.
SCHEDULED FLIGHT DATES and LOCATIONS *
Monday 15 August Southmere Park, Thamesmead
Saturday 20 August Southmere Park, Thamesmead
Saturday 10 September Birchmere Park, Thamesmead
Saturday 24 September Crossways Park, Thamesmead
Sunday 25 September Gallions Reach Park, Thamesmead
All flights take place in the evening from approximately 18:30 – 21:00. Please check www.g-foew.art before planning your visit.
*All dates are provisional as flights are dependent on suitable weather conditions. For up-to-date information about times and locations of flights visit www.g-foew.art.