Moretonhampstead Flag Festival 2024
June 15th – June 30th
The flag makers have, once again, been quietly working behind the scenes getting ready for this year’s festival. All the flags are mended, and a few new ones made.
Sadly - Veronica and Andrea are now turning their minds to succession planning. We will be stepping back from the Flag Festival after this year. Neither of us will ‘abandon’ the flags and we will both be happy to support, consult and join in, for as long as we are able. We know that after 14 years, we can’t continue to sustain the necessary energy and commitment needed - frustratingly, we seem to be getting older! Happily - we are keen to aid, encourage and support the breathing of new life into this wonderful ongoing project.
We both shared our creative energies to sow the seeds of a Flag Festival back in 2010. This was before the Old School was transformed into a multi-use building by the Development Trust, and before Green Hill Arts was born. Running under the umbrella of Green Hill Arts, the Flag Festival has been central to our vision of what a successful Community Art project could be. Financial support has been provided by businesses, householders and local councils, who value what the Flag Festival brings to Moretonhampstead. We have had huge amounts of inspired help from many people as it became clear what the flags could do - in lifting the spirits, showing off skills and beautifying the town. People stop and ask, “What are they for?”. The answer has always been to celebrate the town and the people who live here, the place, the skills, the shops and trades.
We are pleased that Green Hill Arts is taking the project in-house, and we can continue to grow the community of flags and makers. To smooth the transition of the Flag Festival to its new form, we are setting up a small group to take over from us. The Flag Festival will need this group if it is to survive. If you love the flags contact us to find out more about how you can help. Between us we share a huge amount of enjoyment, and will need a mixture of skills.
It will take time for a new group to ‘bed down’, but there is nothing like the joy to be found in bringing the town alive with our beautiful, colourful flags. We are looking forward to hearing from you and are immensely grateful to support from the Co-op Community Fund which will aid the transition to a new way of working.
Andrea 01647440336 Email: andrea.foxwell@btinternet.com
Veronica 01647440691 Email: vergould@gmail.com