Mill Girls & Militants come to Preston Flag Market
On Saturday, 27th October, Ludus Dance brings Lancashire and Preston’s heritage to life through a mass performance in Preston’s Flag Market and community performances in The Harris as part of Mill Girls and Militants, a National Lottery/Heritage Lottery funded project.
Mill Girls and Militants is inspired by the stories of real women from Preston, Lancaster and Burnley who contributed to the suffrage movement. The performance sees the Mill girls as they gather at work and word spreads of a secret meeting. Time to make a stand, to call for action, to be heard! The moving performance shows the women’s frustrations, anger, strength, and ultimate perseverance against a system that holds them down.
A moving performance inspired by Lancashire working women’s huge contribution to the suffragette movement
Performed by the flagship Ludus Youth Dance Company and community groups from Preston, Lancaster and Burnley, the audience is guided from outside The Harris – into the museum – and back outside to the Flag Market again, carried along by the grace and resilience that guides the women on.
Performances at 11am and 3pm on Saturday, 27th October
Performances are at 11am and 3pm and the whole event lasts just under one hour. The audience is required to walk up and down flights of stairs to access the balcony areas. The venue is fully accessible.
Don’t miss out. Evoke the spirit and stories of Beth Hesmondhalgh, a mill girl and suffragette from Preston, Selina Martin from Lancaster, and Selina Cooper from Nelson, to celebrate how their bravery paved the way for today’s women.
A little bit about Preston’s suffragette Beth Hesmondhalgh
Beth Hesmondhalgh was recruited by Edith Rigby, just a stone’s throw away from the Flag Market when she went for tea at Edith’s home on Winckley Square. Beth went into service at 14 years old and then worked at Samuel Slaters Mill in Preston as a winder. In 1908, Beth travelled to London to join other suffragettes to present a petition to the House of Commons where they were arrested. In 1909, Winston Churchill visited Preston. The suffragettes planned a mass meeting and placed posters in prominent places. Beth climbed on top of a barrier and began shouting her message. She was sent to prison in Preston and went on hunger strike. Not to be deterred, in 1913 Beth carried a bomb for Edith Rigby and, when setting off down Fishergate, was offered help with her very heavy suitcase by a local detective!
Just come along to the outdoor performance – booking required for inside The Harris
Book for this free event via Eventbrite for performances at the Harris. Outdoor performances are non-ticketed. Through this performance, heritage will meet state-of-the-art technology, past will meet present, as the performance is filmed on a 360-degree camera to be shared across the county through a digital VR experience.
A massive thanks to our supporters
Ludus Dance is delighted to work in partnership with Preston City Council and The Harris Museum and Art Gallery as a venue for this special performance.
What next?
The Mill Girls & Militants performance brings together Lancashire’s heritage and a digital VR experience which will be shared through dance and heritage workshops in high schools across the county early next year. To find out more, or get invol ed in upcoming heritage events, email anna.daly@ludusdance.org
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What did you think?
If you saw our performance at Preston’s Flag Market, Let us know what you think of this performance in a short five minute Surveymonkey and be entered into a lucky draw for a £50 Amazon voucher.
