Paul McClaren, Artistic director and the creative force behind Shademakers UK’s incredible carnival costumes, will be giving a talk later this month about his creative process and the inspiration behind ‘Ad Astra’ – a spectacular year of events following the themes of flight, wings and the skies.
Artist’s talk
Be inspired as Paul shares his insights and stories surrounding Shademakers UK, going through the history/ritual of carnivals and how this has inspired them to this day, their participation in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the characters he makes for carnivals, and more.
Shademakers are currently displaying a selection of their costumes in their exhibition ‘Ad Astra’ in the West Gallery at Quay Arts.
Showcasing stunning carnival costumes
‘Ad Astra’ showcases stunning carnival costumes with a focus on flight, wings and the skies, intricately exploring the theme of flight through the enchanting world above our heads. The costumes are a symphony of colours and textures, featuring elaborate wing designs that evoke a sense of graceful movement and freedom.
Each piece is a visual ode to the beauty and majesty of avian creatures, celebrating the wonder of flight in a truly mesmerising fashion.
Where and when
The talk is on Sunday 28th January at 2pm in the Anthony Minghella Theatre. Free tickets can be booked via Quay Arts website.
The talk will include time to ask Paul and the Shademakers team any questions about their impressive body of work, including their high profile role in the Queen’s Jubilee Parade.
Attendees will also be able to visit the ‘Ad Astra’ exhibition in our West Gallery; a unique opportunity to get an up-close look at these breathtaking costumes.
What others say
See what our visitors to the exhibition think so far:
“The best exhibition I have seen for years, very clever and imaginative people!”
“Wonderful – watching in the parades you don’t fully appreciate the scale & intricacy of the costume designs. Amazing!”
Details
- Exhibition duration: 9th December – 18th February, held in the West Gallery at Quay Arts
- Artist Talk: 28th January 2-4pm, held in the Anthony Minghella Theatre at Quay Arts
- Tickets via the Quay Arts website.
- Shademakers’ Instagram
- Shademakers website
- Quay Arts’ Instagram
News shared by Alicia on behalf of Quay Arts. Ed
