It was really good to meet and chat to Jack and to talk about guitars, poems, Creator College and the workshop. Here is Jack’s evocative poem…
Fields
Rolling Colours
Forged by thought
Lordless lonely long nights
Open
Mountain ancient lost
Keepers of the beautiful
Life stained, the eternal
Thunderous ink clouds
Smudged dirty impenetrable
Lovers of misery
Lingering over buildings
By Jack Beaumont
We had a fabulous session at the My Ancestors Were French Exhibition, Workshop and Gig for Refugee Week on Wednesday. A big thanks to Alan, Mal and Sally at Hull’s Creator College for hosting the event.
There were some amazing and very evocative poems and art produced in the workshop that Louise & Amanda ran in the afternoon. Adam Wilson is the artist in residence at Creator College. His is not an illustrated poem, but a poemed illustration, ‘Stranger’.
Strangeness made Stranger
Language gap broadened
Nuances subtly lost
Meaning crisply missed
Abby Wright has created this beautiful brand new contemporary illustration especially for our project. it is inspired by Millais’ painting, which we show and use at the MAWF workshops and events.
A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, (1852) by John Everett Millais. Set in the French Wars of Religion, the young woman is trying to make her lover wear the white scarf which would protect him from persecution and possibly death. He, despite his love for her refuses to renounce his faith.
Painted in Victorian England, the picture uses The Language of Flowers, showing Canterbury Bells and Nasturtiums to express faith and patriotism.
“They wrap each other up, but also pull in opposite directions” S.P Casteras
Freedom
How wonderful
I am leaving
To a better place
Home
By Joe Bastable
Abby Wright has created this exquisite illustration inspired by the famous painting of A Huguenot by John Everett Millais. Millias’ painting was an inspiration for the story which we tell in our set of songs ‘The Auricula Suite’
A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, (1852) by John Everett Millais: Set in the French Wars of Religion, the young woman is trying to make her lover wear the white scarf which would protect him from persecution and possibly death. He, despite his love for her refuses to renounce his faith.
Painted in Victorian England, the picture uses The Language of Flowers, showing Canterbury Bells and Nasturtiums to express faith and patriotism.
“They wrap each other up, but also pull in opposite directions” S.P Casteras
The quiet swan swam
Death is around the corner
The swan must depart
Anon.
Art
Emotions, beauty
Painting with passion
A whole different world
Beautiful
By Elle McCann
Israel
My ancestors
Persecuted in war
Curious to know more
What happened?
Jewish
Interesting culture
Remembering the past
To understand my history
Family
By Rachel Artley
Norway
Beautiful land
Calm and peaceful
Is part of me
Proud
By Laura Kirkwood
We met a fabulous bunch of young people at our workshop at Wolfreton School. There are some pictures of what happened on the Workshop page.
We talked about what it may be like for the Huguenot people – back in the 16th century – to be persecuted and to have to leave everything behind and take refuge in a new country. We talked about how it would feel it it were to happen to us, today.
I’ll start posting the superb work that everyone created. Here’s the first one, it’s a drawing, ‘Home = Hull’.
“I had invited a couple of my friends from Bradford we were walking to town and they were saying we’ve heard Hull’s really bad and I was saying no not really, I’ve got some really good friends and it’s a really nice place to live, I’ve been to other cities but I think Hull is beautiful. Whilst I was talking a taxi passed us and the taxi driver leaned out of the window and started shouting ‘go back to your own country’, you know really shouting, really angry and my friend was saying well it must be really hard to live in Hull. I said ok there are some idiots but I have some really good friends here, don’t believe all the rumours. With that, the taxi got to the end of Spring Bank and turned around, he drove back just so he could hurl abuse at us for a second time. I was really mad; I was just telling my friends how beautiful Hull was.”
“May the taxi driver’s cab be as empty as his soul.”
Watch the Film six minutes long.
Abby’s first especially commissioned Primula auricula illustration is underway; it’s up there, the new header!
My Ancestors Were French 
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