Making More Mischief:
Folk Costume in Britain
About the exhibition
Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain is the highly anticipated sequel to Compton Verney’s 2023 exhibition, Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain, which was the first of its kind to explore the pivotal role of costume in folk customs thriving across Britain today and the rich tapestry of people bringing them to life.
Now, in collaboration with the Museum of British Folklore, and as part of the same project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, LCF's Making More Mischief builds on this narrative by zooming in with a London lens to further explore class, sexuality, ethnicity and identity to challenge preconceived ideas that seasonal folk cultures and customs need to be fixed, nostalgic or predominantly rural.
Traditions such as London’s carnivals, Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, Swan Upping and Somali May Day traditions come together in Making More Mischief unified through the shared values of folk dress rooted in identity, non-conformity and subversiveness. Full outfits will be displayed across LCF’s three floors of public showcasing areas alongside many voices of the wearers and/or makers as written or oral testimonies. These communicate the deeply personal individual and community expressions of lives lived and desires, which permeate all folk culture.
Making More Mischief is generously supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and led by curators Simon Costin and Mellany Robinson of the Museum of British Folklore and London College of Fashion's Amy de la Haye. Featuring commissions by NUMBI Arts and PXSSY PALACE, in close collaboration with Dr. Leila Nassereldein and Mirren Kessling, LCF's cultural producers.
Visitor information
9 April - 22 June 2024
Opening times: Tuesday - Saturday, 10am to 5pm
Free admission.
Location: LCF East Bank, 105 Carpenter's Road
London E20 2AR
Events
Guided walk and audio testimonies
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Mapping More Mischief
A guided walk from LCF East Bank taking in 7 points of interest related to folk customs, past and present, around Stratford, Hackney and Bow.
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Oral History of Folk Costume
Listen to oral history interviews with the makers and wearers of the costumes as part of the Making Mischief project.