At Richmond Castle, Rural Arts delivered a series of community art sessions which empowered individuals, groups and whole communities in Richmond and Thirsk to explore, interpret and debate the unique historical record of pencil drawings, political slogans, portraits of loved ones, hymns and poetry contained within the Castles’ Cell Block lime washed walls.
The 19th Century Cell Block has several thousands inscriptions dating from between 1913 and the 1970s. During WW1 men who were known as the ‘Richmond Sixteen’ were conscientious objectors, including Quakers and Methodists, produced the never-before-seen graffiti. The project developed an artistic approach to the graffiti whilst facilitating public discussion about the historical records legacy. The outcome of the project was a series of family workshops hosted at Richmond Castle and 16 large scale paper cut lanterns, which were displayed at the castle during Resonate.
Resonate, was a family event hosted by Richmond Castle in November 2018 celebrating the success of the Cell Block Project. People were invited to learn more about the castle’s graffiti, see the Castle illuminated and enjoy special performances by the Georgian Youth Theatre and other live musicians.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/richmond-castle/richmond-graffiti/cell-block-project/
Publicity: www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk
