Thursday 20th May 2021 to
Saturday 22nd May 2021
Shadow Tales will explore the past of several sites along the Old High Street Intra. Taking inspiration from this rich history Shadow Tales will create Silhouettes that tell a story and make for intriguing displays in windows and shop fronts. The stories will be based on facts and highlight just some of the previous uses of the premises and the people that lived and worked along this stretch of fascinating high street. The Old High Street Intra will be re-populated with a trail of text, placards, Silhouettes and Shadow Tales, waiting to be discovered by passers by.
About the artist
Wendy Daws is an artist and sculptor whose work takes inspiration from the visually impaired communities she has worked with over the last 17 years. Wendy creates tactile sculptures, 'shadow play' and site responsive installations.
Much of Wendy's work is collaborative and driven by an inclusivity agenda. This is reflected in her own practice and also the democratisation of art creation through involvement and collaboration with others. Wendy believes that disability is not an impairment to imagination and that artistic practice can be accessed by everyone regardless of age, ability or background.
In 2017, Wendy established MESS ROOM with Christopher Sacre as a space which echoes Wendy's ambitions for the inclusivity, access and belonging she demonstrates in her own practice. MESS ROOM specialises in supporting deaf and people with hearing loss and blind and visually impaired people to express themselves creatively, using a combination of inclusive activities and communication methods, including British Sign Language (BSL) and tactile materials.
In 2018, Wendy was recognised in the New Year Honours List for the impact and reach of her work with visually impaired people.
Instagram @WendyDawsArt
Twitter @WendyDawsArt
Facebook @WendyDawsArt
Image credit: Wendy Daws, Shadow Tales, 21-23 May
Using your smart phones GPS technology, the new Dizzy O’Dare Audio Trails app will guide you on walks around Chatham Intra, triggering stories, poems, history and art based activities from local artists at specific locations, to inspire you, as you explore the area.
Young people’s stories, which imagine the historic Chatham Intra in 100 years’ time, will be seen and heard along the high street. What are their hopes, fears and dreams for the area in 2121?
Medway Dance Network will be exploring gender identity and the benefit of women cross-dressing to gain financial and employment privileges afforded to men during the 1920’s.
After recreating an aerial photo of Chatham Intra from 1920, writer and photographer Neil Thorne will present the two images together in a triptych with an account of his experience, exhibited in a High Street window.
Nicola Flower's favourite shop in the whole of Medway is Zee Fashions & Fabrics. She's going to draw the women working in the shop and their customers and make a fanzine of their story.
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Learn about the very first photographers in the Old High Street Intra area, their studios and images, and who occupies the same addresses today.
Salt Sweet - listen as submerged stories drawn from the Five Bells & Bath Hard Lanes area of Chatham Intra are layered with river sounds in a sonic rhythm that suggests the washing back and forth of the tides.
MESS ROOM invited people to strike a pose in April and donate their shadow, to be immortalised as a silhouette and feature on a series of banners for colourful street gallery, “Shadow Tales - Gallery of You!”, which will be displayed along the Old High Street Intra.
Capturing the atmosphere of the Ebb & Flow Festival, to report a celebratory and specific moment in time through a series of drawings.
This commission explores the origins of the street names along the Chatham Intra, from the bottom of Star Hill to Sun Pier, through a series of black and white photographs.
Through the Porthole will give people the opportunity to decorate their own boat porthole, these are the round windows you find on boats!
Principal Partners
Major Partners
Commissioning Partners
Festival Partners
Festival Supporters
© 2020 Metal and Cement Fields
Metal at Chalkwell Hall
Chalkwell Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS0 8NB
T: +44 (0) 01702 470700
Cement Fields
School of Arts
Jarman Building
The University of Kent
Canterbury CT2 7UG
T: +44 (0) 01227 824350
