PROCESSIONS takes place this Sunday 10th June across all four capital cities of the UK: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. Tens of thousands of women have already signed up to take part in this once–in–a–lifetime mass participation artwork, celebrating one hundred years since the first British women won the right to vote.

Produced by Artichoke and commissioned by 14–18 NOW, the UK’s official arts programme for the First World War centenary, PROCESSIONS will unite women* and girls across the UK to form a living artwork, and a snapshot of life for women in the UK today. (*including those who identify as women and non–binary.)

Participants are encouraged to register for further information at www.processions.co.uk/register or let others know you are taking part by joining the relevant Facebook event @PROCESSIONS2018. Alternatively participants can turn up at the assembly point Titanic Slipways on Sunday 10th June from 12:15pm for a 2pm start to take part.

“The actions of women a hundred years ago during the First World War have paved the way for women today, and we are working with Artichoke to mark this landmark moment in women’s history.  We have been overwhelmed by the support for PROCESSIONS, and I look forward to joining women on 10 June to be part of this powerful artwork, which explores what it means to be a woman in the UK today, our successes, and the challenges we still face.”  – Jenny Waldman, Director, 14–18 Now.

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support PROCESSIONS 2018 and all that it stands for. We have a rich history of women from Northern Ireland who led the way in fighting for female emancipation, for the right to be heard and for the right to vote. This is a wonderful opportunity to remember those names on June 10th in a living artwork of mass participation by women and for women. 

PROCESSIONS is also an opportunity to continue the call for equality for women across the world today. Under Artichoke’s brilliant direction and with the help of Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery funding, we are anticipating a marvellous display of hand–made banners recognising the issues of women in the twenty–first century. Funding from the wider National Lottery family has allowed professional female artists from Northern Ireland to work on creating PROCESSIONS banners with fourteen community and women’s groups across Northern Ireland, making this a truly regional and unifying event. I encourage people to register, to join in and to help make the Belfast PROCESSION a terrific sight to behold”.

On the Day:

Participants are invited to form up at the start locations of each city, from 12.15pm with the processions expected to start from 2pm and lasting approximately two hours. Once the procession is underway, each participant will pick up a scarf to wear in one of the three suffragette colours – green, white and violet – and will then be choreographed to walk in bands of colour, so as to appear as a long unfurling striped suffragette banner.

Interspersed amongst each procession will be participants carrying handmade banners reflecting the concerns and issues that women face in the 21st century. Over the last few months, women’s groups across the UK have been paired with female and female–identifying artists for a series of creative workshops to create these extraordinary artworks. In addition, all participants and ambassadors were invited to make their own banners at home using a bespoke toolkit inspired by a 1909 guide created by suffragette artist Mary Lowndes.

PROCESSIONS will be broadcast live across BBC News and on BBC One in a national two–hour programme from 2–4pm Sunday 10th June that will span all four cities, from a studio based in London, with regular correspondence from presenters in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Start times and form up locations:

PROCESSIONS Belfast: Participants are invited to gather on Titanic Slipways (BT3 9EP) from 12.15pm. The procession will start at approximately 2pm, the route is approximately 1.5 miles long and will finish at Belfast City Hall (BT1 5GS).

@processions2018  #PROCESSIONS2018   #PROCESSIONSBelfast   @artichoketrust   @1418NOW

What to look out for:

• PROCESSIONS Belfast Ambassadors, including Lord Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Hargey, Actress Saoirse–Monica Jackson and  ComedianGráinne Maguire

•  Enhancing the festival atmosphere further will be bands and music across the routes in all four cities. In Belfast Northern Ireland’s only all female samba band, Chidambaram Samba, will be playing as part of the procession

• Proud partner of PROCESSIONS, Ulster Bank is also lighting up its building in Belfast which is on Donegal Square East (where City Hall is)

• DJ, TV presenter and author Lauren Laverne has curated a playlist will be broadcast on the PA systems along the route and near the assembly points of all four cities.

The project has been made possible in Northern Ireland with support from our proud partner

Ulster Bank, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, the National Lottery

through the Heritage Lottery Fund, and by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and

Sport.