*NEW* Film
RESTAGING THE PAST: The Story of Historical Pageants
A new film from King’s College London and Windrose Rural Media Trust
Made by Windrose Rural Media Trust in collaboration with the Redress of the Past project team. As well as Sherborne, Restaging the Past tells the story of the historical pageant movement from its inception at Sherborne in 1905, to the present day. As well as Sherborne, the film features pageants in St Albans (1907, 1948 and 1953), Carlisle (1928, 1951 and 1977), Birmingham (1938), Guildford (1977 and 1987) and Farnham (1950).
The film features specially recreated music from historical pageants. Music was a vital ingredient of pageantry. And pageants are not dead. The film begins and ends with the preparation and performance of the 2022 Axbridge Pageant in Somerset; a pageant which is restaged every ten years and which shows how vital such events can be to the life of 21st-century communities.
How to access the film:
The film is freely available for streaming, here.
Press inquiries should be directed to paul.readman@kcl.ac.uk
Restaging The Past is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. With thanks to Leqi Xu for providing the English-language subtitles for the film.
The Ruins of Sherborne Old Castle: site of the first historical pageant in 1905
The Axbridge Pageant, Somerset, August 2022
Pageant ephemera expert Ellie Reid talks about pageant souvenirs and memorabilia