Peter Swan, a PhD student in the Geography Department, writes: The highlight of my research with Pioneer Projects in Bentham has to be experiencing the town’s annual lanterns parade, which occurs every year at the end of the October half-term holiday. The use of handmade lanterns for community celebrations dates back to the early 80s in the UK (See Mike White’s book Arts development in community health: a social tonic for a history of the processions), and came about largely because of the work of Alison Jones, who went on to co-found Pioneer Projects. Lanterns are constructed out of ‘withy’ – strong, flexible willow stems, which can be easily bent into a variety of shapes. The frame is then covered with a layer of thick tissue paper soaked in latex paint, which protects the candle inside from the wind and rain. The beauty of this process is that designs can be as simple or as complex as one wants them to be.
As ever, this year’s lantern’s parade was a resounding success, despite the torrential rain on the night. The photos I took do not do it justice – it is something which you really have to experience for yourself. Bentham is lucky to have such an event, and will be one which I remember for years to come.