A widely-praised art exhibition devoted to Old Oswestry hillfort closes this weekend with an afternoon of live performance – and an artistic tribute in icing and sponge!
The “Artists Hugging the Hillfort” (AHH!) exhibition, which has been running in the Willow Gallery, Oswestry, explores notions of ownership, nurture, identity and loss in relation to the town’s iconic hillfort and ancient land- scape.
It concludes in fitting style this Saturday (May 21) with a thought-provoking finale of improvised drama and music from 3pm.
The Intervallic Project will take visitors on a musical tour of Old Oswestry, playing a semi-improvised composition based on a “tone row” representing the letters of the word “hillfort”. Oswestry musicians Barry Edwards, Guy Turner and Neil Phillips will be creating this unique canvas of sound using a combination of electronic and acoustic instruments.
Also running with a hillfort theme, Pimp$ouls, aka father and son double act Terry and Dru Cripps, will be throwing themselves into a session of improvised comedy.
There is also the chance to win a show-stopping hillfort cake, created by Lindsay Chaplin of the Willow Eatery, in a fund-raising raffle for future hillfort initiatives. Other prizes include a number of original artworks donated by some of the exhibiting artists.
Coordinated by Llanarmon-based artist, Diana Baur, the AHH! project is aiming to explore Old Oswestry’s contribution to local distinctiveness and cultural well-being as planning pressures threaten its landscape. Housing land has been allocated in fields south-east of the fort in Shropshire’s local plan.
Over 30 artists working in the Oswestry borderlands have contributed their take on “The Stonehenge of the Iron Age” in paintings, sculpture, jewellery, textiles, photography, video and other media. The project has grown to almost 100 works since its launch at the Hillfort Hug Weekend in February in association with the HOOOH Community Group.
The hillfort collection is set to tour other areas where communities face similar heritage threats. Next stop is across the border in Aberystwyth’s Blossoms Gallery where it will be on display during June.
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