#Processions2018
It's almost nine years since I first took part in a work of art when, in August 2019, I spent my hour on the Fourth Plinth as part of Anthony Gormley's One and Other. The project was run by Artichoke, who also manage the beautiful Lumiere festivals in Durham and London. I love taking part in works like this, and wrote before about the wonderful experience of planting poppies at the Tower of London for Paul Cummins's piece that was part of the WW1 centenary. So, I signed up immediately when I heard about the Processions piece being run by Artichoke this year.
2018 is, of course, the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, which gave the vote to some British women for the first time. The idea of Processions is simple, to bring together women in capital cities across the UK - London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff - to march in commemoration of this event and create 'a living portrait of UK women in the 21st century'. You're given a scarf in either green, purple or white and march in coloured columns to create a huge version of the Suffragette flag.
Taking part in the London march today has been extraordinary. My friend and I joined the green column, but I was also proud to wear the rosette that I was given on the National Trust's 'Suffragette City' experience earlier in the year. Many people had made really impressive banners commemorating women who fought for the vote, the anniversary, or the causes that still need fighting for. Walking the route from Park Lane to Whitehall there was such a feeling of friendship and coming together, of quiet gratitude for the women who came before and fought for what we have today.
I took away from today that artwork, and cultural experiences, don't have to be complicated. While organising the logistics of Processions must have been immensely complex, the idea was very simple, and bought women together all over the country through the symbolism of three colours. A day of unity that I hope is a good omen, and means another nine years of participating in artwork.
