24 Jan - 23 Dec 2022
Facebook Instagram
24 Jan - 23 Dec 2022

Events Category: Art & Culture

Art & CultureCommunity GrantsHistory, heritage & archeologySaturnalia EventsWorkshops & Learning

Io Saturnalia!

The Studio, The Heugh, Brampton

16 Nov 2022 - 21 Dec 2022

  • Guide dog friendly
  • Visually impaired friendly
Free

Delivered by BlueJam Arts

Greetings from the Spirit of Misrule!
Io Saturnalia! celebration on Winter Solstice 21st December!

SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS
on Wednesday evenings at 7-9pm at The Heugh, Brampton

All are welcome to join members of BlueJam’s Brampton Improv Choir and other singers to help create a songbook for the Saturnalia celebrations, using the themes of the festival in its various incantations down the ages. We will also be drumming and making masks for the final get together at the Winter Solstice which will take place round the fire in the Heugh woods. Masks can be made on the afternoon of the 21st and a special costume has been made for the Spirit of Misrule which people can take turns to don and inhabit the character during the celebration. A film of dance by the resident artists accompanied by the composed songs will be shown on bluejamarts.org and the songbook will be freely available to download from vocalunion.org.uk.

The project is led by 3 local artists and bluejamarts.org

Free participation: advance booking essential through bluejamarts@gmail.com

All Wednesdays 16th November to 14th December 7-9pm (Songwriting, drumming and mask-making workshops)

Wednesday 21st December 4pm – 10pm: Festival

Visit site
Art & CultureExhibitionsFamilyHistory, heritage & archeologyOnlineOutdoors & NaturePerformanceSaturnalia EventsTalksWalks & toursWorkshops & Learning

Create your own Saturnalia Event

01 Nov 2022 - 30 Nov 2022

Throughout November and December 2022.

The word ‘Saturnalia’ has the meaning of ‘an occasion of wild revelry or indulgence’.

Throughout November and December we are inviting anyone and everyone to join the festivities and deliver their own Saturnalia celebrations, events and activities to make this a truly wall-wide knees up. 

We’re inviting YOU to get involved and host an event or activity for Saturnalia as part of Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival, and it could be anything from hosting a Saturnalia-themed Christmas Party in your local village hall to a banquet in your living room or local pub.

You could encourage your neighbours to decorate their windows or create lanterns for their doorsteps or nominate the most mischievous member of your community as Lord of Misrule to preside over your celebrations. 

Click here for Saturnalia Packs developed by artist, Hannah Fox, to help you with your celebrations including traditional recipes, Saturnalia Songs, and inspiration on themes, activities and making your own decorations.

Anyone can deliver activity – individuals, groups, businesses – and at any scale. 

It can be a public event with tickets, or just with a group of friends, a business venture or a solo activity. All activities will be listed on the Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival website to either advertise them or document them or both. 

If you’re interested in delivering a Saturnalia activity, no matter how big or small, please complete the form below to register your interest: 

Saturnalia Proposed Activity Form

Organisers are expected to be responsible for the management, safety, local marketing, and funding for their events, so please ensure you have considered this in putting yo

Visit site
Art & CultureCommunity GrantsSaturnalia Events

Solway Saturnalia Creative Writing

Senhouse Roman Museum, The Battery, Sea Brows, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 6JD

22 Nov 2022 - 13 Dec 2022 , 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Guide dog friendly
  • Wheelchair accessibile

A series of four creative writing workshops inspired by Saturnalia. Have fun with words in this celebration of the turning of the year and the return of the sun on the edge of the Empire. You can have a go at poetry, prose or join up with others and create a short performance. Suitable for all abilities from beginner to published author. Try it for a single session or develop your creativity over four weeks. The sessions are led by Angela Locke. Her inspiring, supportive approach has encouraged both novices having a go for the first time and more experienced writers.

The sessions are free and open to all. Hot drinks and biscuits are available to help the chat and writing along. Groups are kept small and friendly, so numbers are limited to first-come-first-served. Places can be booked by contacting the museum.

All participants will be invited to a Saturnalia celebration during the weekend 16th – 18th December.

The events will take place at the Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport overlooking the Solway Firth. Writers will be encouraged to use the museum, collections and the surrounding landscape of the Solway Coastal Frontier as inspiration.

This project is funded by a grant from HW1900 Community Grants and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Phone: 01900 816168. Email: senhousemuseum@aol.com

Visit site
Art & CultureExhibitionsFamilyHistory, heritage & archeologySaturnalia Events

Saturnalia at Roman Vindolanda

Roman Vindolanda Fort & Museum,, Chesterholm Museum, Bardon Mill,, Hexham,, NE47 7JN

01 Dec 2022 - 31 Dec 2022 , 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

  • Hearing impaired friendly
  • Guide dog friendly
  • Wheelchair accessibile
  • Visually impaired friendly

Display of a feast for the festival of Saturnalia in the Activity Centre at Roman Vindolanda.

Learn about the winter festival celebrated by the Romans and how our celebrations today have been shaped by these ancient gatherings.

One of the most famous, and perhaps the most popular, of the Feriae Statiuae was Saturnalia, the feast now most closely associated with Christmas. Saturnalia was celebrated from 17th to 23rd December in the Julian calendar, and it probably originated as a farmers’ festival to mark the end of the planting season, and grew more elaborate as Rome became more powerful and confident.

On the 23rd December the final day of Saturnalia it was tradition to give gifts, usually small, simple and cheap tokens, which most could afford, so as not to distinguish the rich from the poor. Gifts included combs, candles, purses, small lamps, wax figurines and cheap pottery. These gifts were called sigillaria, and in the days leading up to the festival, the shops would be filled with cheap trinkets sold especially for Satunalia.

In keeping with this tradition we will be giving away small gifts to any visitors we receive on the 23rd December 2022. If you visit that day you may choose a small token to take away with you from our sigillaria.

Visit site
Art & CultureExhibitionsOnline

Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Collaborative Print Exhibition

Florence Arts Centre, Florence Mine, Sherwens Terrace, Egremont, West Cumbria CA22 2NR

Delivered by Florence Arts Centre

A collaborative print for Hadrian’s Wall 1900 has bought together 60 printmakers from 3 studios across northern England for a truly unique exhibition. Each printmaker has responded to their own stretch of the wall, creating a fascinating exhibition interpreting the full 80 Roman miles of the wall. There are original artworks, cards and gifts for sale.

This project has been a great opportunity for artists to respond to a new challenge, to really get to know a section of Hadrian’s Wall and in doing so explore their own printmaking practice. It is fascinating to see how everyone has found something different to focus upon in their print – landscape, archaeology, nature – all the things that make a visit to Hadrian’s Wall such a special experience.

The exhibition includes almost every printmaking process you can think of including fine examples of linocuts, woodcuts, monoprints, screenprints, etchings and more with each artist giving an insight into how they approached their work.

The bringing together of 60 artists – professional, beginners or accomplished amateurs to make one large
artwork – epitomises what the three studios are about, bringing people together around a shared interest in printmaking – and what’s more we get to celebrate the wonderful landscape and heritage of the region.

Exhibition runs 12th November – 18th December (open Friday – Sunday)

Visit site
Art & CultureExhibitions

Local Connections: A celebration in poetry and art of Hadrian’s Wall

Brampton Community Centre, Union Lane, Brampton, CA8 1BX

15 Nov 2022 - 10 Dec 2022 , 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

  • Hearing impaired friendly
  • Guide dog friendly
  • Wheelchair accessibile
Free

Delivered by Brampton and Beyond Community Trust and Stanegate Productions

Local Connections is an exhibition of the work that has been generated by the local community through the wall.three.words project. The purpose of the project has been to use the what3words app to inspire poetry and art celebrating Hadrian’s Wall focusing on the beautiful and under-represented Lanercost to Birdoswald section.

Over the last 6 weeks, schools, community groups, artists and poets of all levels have written poetry, created art and engaged with Hadrian’s Wall using the What3words app.

The exhibition – Local Connections – is the culmination of all this work and is a stunning display of the creativity that has been unleashed within the Community by the project and its use of the What3words app.

Poems and art show the ‘felt’ connection that local people have with the Wall on their doorstep – what it means to them, how they live beside it, the history it evokes. This project was awarded funding through the Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival’s Community Grants scheme.

Taking place from Tuesday 15th November to Saturday 10th December, excluding Sunday 20th, Sunday 27th November and Sunday 4th December.

Visit site
Art & CultureWorkshops & Learning

John Hegley Roman Alphabet Soup Creative Writing Workshop

Carlisle R A O B Club 20 Fisher Street Carlisle CA3 8RH

24 Nov 2022, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Delivered by Carlisle Writers’ Group

Join Carlisle Writers’ Group as they welcome poet and performer John Hegley to the edge of civilisation! Leading a writing workshop then performing at Carlisle Folk Experience. John will take us from amphitheatre to zothecas on his alphabetical journey through his Roman inspired poetry.


Part of the Hadrian 1900 festival, this is a wonderful opportunity to work alongside one of the UK’s best-loved performance poets. Tickets £5. Contact carlislewritersgroup@outlook.com for concessions and access details.

Visit site
Art & CultureExhibitionsPerformance

Roman Wall Blues

The Sill, Northumberland National Park Visitor Centre, Once Brewed, Hexham NE47 7AN

19 Nov 2022, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Guide dog friendly
  • Wheelchair accessibile
  • Visually impaired friendly

Delivered by Sustainable Sounds

A musical adaption of W H Auden’s poem plus other original works and Francois Couperin’s Les Barricades Mysterieuses, performed by Phil Macari (poet) and Michael Freeman (digital piano)

The performance will be in the permanent exhibition area at The Sill, and coincide with The Christmas Fair.

Art & CultureHistory, heritage & archeologyTalks

Talk on Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

Hexham Abbey, Beaumont Street, Hexham, NE46 3NB

23 Nov 2022

  • Guide dog friendly
  • Wheelchair accessibile
  • Visually impaired friendly

Delivered by Northumberland Libraries

As part of their Photographing the Roman Wall: Then and Now project, Northumberland Libraries are offering a programme of events celebrating the life and work of the Hexham photographer and archaeologist, John Pattison Gibson, and in this instance the acclaim of his family.

The poet Wilfrid Wilson Gibson (1878-1962) was the youngest of J.P. Gibson’s eight children. Like his father he shared a passion for the Northumberland landscape. Join Mike Tickell as he shares more about the life and career of Wilfrid Gibson. Wilfrid achieved great acclaim in his early career. He was a popular and prolific writer of both plays and poems and had 42 published books. All of these are now out of print and his reputation as a poet declined from the 1930’s. In recent years there has been increased interest in Gibson’s poetry with the publication of ‘Homecoming’ and ‘November Gold’ anthologies.

Mike Tickell has had a love of Gibson’s poems since attending Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham in the 1950’s. He has recently researched Gibson’s Northumberland poems and will celebrate them in a talk and discussion on Gibson’s relevance today.

This project has been made possible thanks to a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England.

Visit site