Sixth Form students Manahil Waseem, Kitty Butler and Poppy McDonald were accompanied by Mr Birtwistle, Head of Creative Faculty, to take part in the closing exhibitions of the first ever British Textile Biennial. The students participated in a parade through Blackburn centre, as part of Artist Jamie Holman’s exhibition ‘Transform and Escape the Dogs’.
The parade was led by a large hare on a BMX (aka Artist Mark Aspin!), individuals dressed as cowboys, fellow artists, the Mayor and members of the local community. The procession concluded at The Cotton Exchange in Blackburn centre, where a large crowd viewed the first ever Western to be filmed in Blackburn.
Mr Birtwistle, who has supported the inaugural Biennial, explained: “It has been fantastic to have played such a big part in the British Textile Biennial, which has really shown to our students and the local community what a thriving creative network we have in the area. The artists have been incredibly welcoming to our students and it has also been great to catch up with some former pupils, including Adidas designer Gary Aspden, as part of the celebration event.”
Artist Jamie was supported by hundreds of local people as the parade travelled through the centre of Blackburn, forming the finale of his exhibition. The exhibition aimed to celebrate the cultural roots of Blackburn and bring it into the spotlight in today’s society.