Tamworth Borough Council, Marmion House,
Lichfield Street, Staffordshire B79 7BZ.
MEDIA RELEASE
April 21st 2015
Therapy crafters create stunning artwork for outdoor spectacle
Members of a craft therapy group at Tamworth’s Wellbeing and Cancer Support Centre
have helped create a stunning piece of art which will form a key element of the town’s
biggest ever outdoor display of dance, acrobatics and music.
The finished 10ft by 8ft stained glass window design on fabric will drop down from the
bandstand at the end of Tigress – a ground-breaking collaboration between the nationallyacclaimed performance company Motionhouse and hundreds of Tamworth dancers,
singers and drummers.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Tamworth Castle, Tigress is a modern retelling of the
story of the town’s Saxon warrior queen Ethelfleda.
The Saxon-inspired window has been designed by well-known Tamworth artist Maggie
Carney, who spent months working on the project with the help of clients and volunteers at
the Tamworth Wellbeing and Cancer Support Centre where she runs a weekly craft
therapy group for people suffering from cancer and other chronic illnesses.
Their 5ft by 4ft prototype on MDF will be transferred onto a large piece of fabric ahead of
the three performances of Tigress on Saturday May 9th and Sunday May 10th.
It is made up of a number of panels depicting items such as Celtic motifs, musical
instruments, the Saxon flag, the Mercian flag, stonemasons at work, a quote from the
Anglo Saxon chronicle, a Viking ship, a map of Mercia and the letter ‘A’ for Aethelflaeda as it would have been written then.
At the centre of the work is a stunning image of Ethelfleda, painted by Maggie using her
daughter Charlotte, who has a degree in sword fighting, as the model. All jewellery in the
image has been based on genuine items in the Staffordshire Hoard.
MORE….
Stained glass window 2…
All elements of the design have been thoroughly researched and are as true to the life and
times of Queen Ethelfleda as possible.
The names of all the volunteers who contributed to the project have also been included on
the work, written in Anglo Saxon Runes.
Retired school teacher and freelance artist, Maggie, has been leading the group at the
Stonydelph-based centre for two years. She said: “There were around 30 people who
helped with the project in one way or another and I would like to thank every single one of
them for making this such a wonderful experience.
“I have seen people whose confidence has grown as a result of taking part because they
didn’t think they could do it and have been pleased with the end result.”
The centre users who contributed to the project are now looking forward to seeing the
finished piece during the forthcoming performances of Tigress.
Karen Taft said: “When Maggie brought the project to the centre, we all found an interest.
We all came in ready to do something most of us had never done before. I never enjoyed
art classes at school as I can’t draw, so the thought of this first left me apprehensive, but I
enjoyed everything I helped to create and working as part of a group was fantastic.
“It has given us great pride to say we have taken part and that it will be shown in and
around Tamworth during Tigress. We now look forward to our craft days because we know
we can create something wonderful in our sessions with Maggie.”
Mair Brown said: “The whole experience was well worth doing – very therapeutic. It was
also great to work as part of a team as I felt valued and this helped with my confidence
and self-worth. When you’re ill and home alone it can be very isolating so you lose
confidence in yourself. To be part of something like this for the community has done
wonders for my health and well-being.”
Marianne Croft added: “I have loved taking part in the Ethelfleda project. I learned about
some Tamworth history and have gained confidence with my art work.”
MORE….
Stained glass window 3…
Renowned around the world for large scale outdoor productions, Motionhouse will create a
thrilling show, encompassing their characteristic athletic and energetic style together with
more than 200 participants from Tamworth and supported by local drumming groups and
choirs.
Members of the community have also contributed to the production by knitting squares of
wool which will be joined together to create a huge Mercian flag that will be dramatically
flung out over the castle motte as part of the performance.
The one-off Tigress masterpiece forms the I Am Dance element of the ambitious I Am
Tamworth project and is the centre-piece of Tamworth Borough Council’s 12-month
celebration of the arts.
Tigress will be shown to audiences across three free performances, at 2pm and 7pm on
Saturday May 9th and at 2pm on Sunday May 10th and will hopefully attract thousands of
visitors from Tamworth and further afield.
Contact Linda Ram by email linda-ram@tamworth.gov.uk
Natalie Missenden on 01827 709572 or by email nataliemissenden@tamworth.gov.uk
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