ALCESTER’S Roman past has been reimagined in a new film.
Staff at Roman Alcester Museum have collaborated with artist and musician Mark Ferraby as part of arts organisation Live & Local’s LivingRoom project to capture a day and night in the market town under Roman rule.
The project was launched last summer in response to the pandemic as a way to connect people, by pairing community groups with an artist to work on a creative project together. The scheme aimed to bring isolated people together, including those who do not have access to the internet, to help create a lasting legacy for communities across Warwickshire.
Museum trustee chair Susan Juned said: “We have a terrific musician/writer courtesy of Live & Local. Mark Ferraby has created all the elements which involve various community groups and individuals singing, speaking doggerel, poems, comic songs, monologues and more. The finished film is an intriguing and fun way to engage people of all ages in our remarkable Roman history and we’ll be able to show it not just in the museum, but also at various places around town, not forgetting Heritage Day on September 22. Creating something new, exciting and involving like this really is good news, for both our museum and the town.”
Alongside Mark, the project has involved a range of talented people from the community including a Brownies group, male voice choir, classical singer Cressida Dolphin and the town’s very own centurion, Mick Parker.
Mark added: “Stories and tales link us to each other and to our past families and friends. What a joy it has been to visit and work alongside Alcester families and friends to weave this tale of market mayhem. From the start I felt the fun in fabrication with the community here in town and what talent resides here from the youngest Brownie dancer to the oldest singer in town! I’m looking forward to sharing this new tale of old mishappenings now available on film.”
The film is available to watch on the Live & Local YouTube channel.
