You can help Sandown Carnival create show-stopping hats in the style of Gertrude Shilling for next month’s Sandown Bay Regatta, by taking part in a series of hat-making workshops in early August.
Book a free place at one of the workshops or – if you can – all three!
Gertrude Shilling was known affectionately as the Mascot of Ascot with her outlandish, often madcap headwear. She had a close connection with Sandown, parading her hats on the Esplanade and crowning the town’s carnival queen in 1975.
Grand Regatta Hat Parade
This summer, the Regatta will feature our Shilling-inspired Showstoppers as we revive a hat-wearing tradition which goes back decades.
The workshops are suitable for adults and children over 12 and you’ll learn new skills to work on up to six Shilling Showstoppers to feature in our Grand Regatta Hat Parade on Sunday 13th August.
Emerging designer Joel Lines
The workshops will be led by Island artist Teresa Grimaldi and up-and-coming designer Joel Lines who recently wowed public and celebrities alike at the acclaimed 2023 BA Fashion Class show at Central Saint Martins in London.
Style magazine The Face described his collection as ‘fantastically theatrical, with a giant puppet painted in carnival colours swaying down the runway, spinning and dancing in pure jubilation’.
Parallels with Gertrude Shilling’s approach
You can even find one of Joel’s creations in the collection of national treasure, Grayson Perry.
Joel says,
“Gertrude Shilling’s bold, dramatic and theatrical approach to hat-making is both impressive and humorous and has some parallel to the upscaling elements I’ve been using in my work.”
Photo courtesy of Joel_ Central St Martins
Where and when
The hat-making workshops are at Boojum&Snark, 105 High Street, Sandown on Tuesday 1st, Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd August between 6 and 9pm.
Please use Eventbrite to select the workshop (s) you’d like to do and, who knows, maybe you’ll end up modelling a Shilling Showstopper at our Grand Hat Parade on Regatta day!
Support for the project
Sandown Carnival’s project to revive the hat-wearing tradition at the town’s annual Regatta is supported by the Arts Council England Heritage Lottery Fund.
Local illustrator and printmaker Katie Stone has developed our playful illustration, Regatta Hats Are Back. Follow Katie on Facebook and on Instagram.
News shared by Paul on behalf of Sandown Carnival Association. Ed
