Former shoe factory celebrates memories of the shoe industry
24 July 2006
Signing the plaque
The Chelsea Workshop, the former Edward Green shoe factory on Cowper Street, Northampton, took the last step in its shoe-making history recently as the final performance of the site-specific artwork The Shoemakers' Ball was held.
As part of the Big Dance 2006 festival, The Shoemakers' Ball is a highly interactive and visual event involving local performance duo, The University of Northampton's School of The Arts PhD student, Luis Sotelo and Chris. Dugrenier, dramatising Northampton's shoe industry as well as a live band and audience participation dances. Art installations and interviews/sounds detailing the history of shoe-making in the area also added an extra special visual and audio touch.
The audience was a mix of the young and the old, from a seven year old girl through to retired ex-shoemakers, art administrators, teachers and older couples who came along for the dances - all from different countries, such as Croatia, Turkey, India, Scotland - a real diversity of people under one roof!
Guests enjoying The Shoemaker's Ball
Members of the youth theatre group, the Mask Theatre, also took part in the event, directed by Ursula Wright. They learnt the tango and a barn dance for the event and did exceptionally well, with just two rehearsals.
Previously held from 23-25 June as part of the Northampton Arts and Music Festival, the Ball was held once again to say a final farewell to The Chelsea Workshop in its current capacity - a disused shoe factory. The audience signed a commemorative plaque last night to be installed in the Workshop as ''we are all now memories of the building in its current form.''
Luis Sotelo commented:
''The audience's presence and participation was crucial for the artwork. By signing the plaque, they marked the moment as a collective action that is both real and artistic. The Chelsea Workshop has been empty for almost a year and we will do our best to ensure the plaque will be put into the renovated building when its future is determined to keep the memories alive.''
The background behind The Shoemakers' Ball at The Chelsea Workshop is very interesting. Both Luis and Chris cleared the space to turn it into a performative place and a site for social encounters but at the start of its run, traces of the past were on the floor which later became the dance floor - these included pieces of machines used in shoe production, parts of shoes showing the stages of the making of a shoe and even soda cans that were found in the factory on arrival, probably left there by the former shoemakers.
The event was funded by The Arts Council England, with additional support from Barricks Gas, Northants Dance, Crockett & Jones, Edward Green and Church's Shoes.
Reference: UON6097
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