Community Banner Project
Celebrating the Forest
Building on the rich heritage of community banner-making in the Forest of Dean, this project – funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Forester’s Forest programme – was designed to give people and communities an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable place they call home.
Working alongside Artspace Cinderford, we supported local groups, clubs and associations to design and produce their own fabric parade banners.
We also invited children and families to a series of drop-in craft workshops, from which we created ‘patchwork’ banners to represent communities across the Forest.
An event to remember
The banners were proudly displayed at a series of community celebration events in Autumn 2021, including a special parade event hosted by Wyldwood Arts in Cinderford. Participants walked their banners through the streets, past cheers and waves from doorsteps, all the way to the town centre where they gathered together for tea, cake and music.
The event was attended by representatives from communities all across the Forest, with a crowd of hundreds turning out to see the banners, connect with each other and celebrate a shared heritage.
“The parade felt like a really good finish to the [Forester’s Forest] project and it was great to see and compare banners with other community groups. THANK YOU!”
“We all had a blast! Wonderful to feel the community spirit alive and well after so long.”
Credits
This project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Forester’s Forest programme, and was delivered in partnership with Artspace Cinderford.