The Cinderloo story has inspired several local artists and writers to create new work, and we hope that many more projects will emerge as we get nearer to the 200th anniversary in 2021.
Cinderloo 1821 will be organising activities and art events to explore some of the themes associated with the Cinderloo Uprising. Keep an eye on our News and Events pages for further information. We also welcome all to get involved with independent projects and we will try and feature all work on the website. Please get in touch and send us any images, words, or web links that you would like to share.
Music and Poetry
There is a growing number of people composing poems and songs relating to Cinderloo including:
Ted Eames’ ballad “Farewell Tom (Sam Hayward’s Blues)” was set to music and recorded by Mary Keith. There are two versions at slightly different tempos which you can listen to here:
Read more about Ted Eames’ poem here.
Writer/poet Jean Atkin has collaborated with musicians Charlotte Watson, Steve Downs and Sarah Ibberson of Whalebone on Understories‘ – a new poetry and music project exploring the new folklore of Shropshire. This includes a poem “Tom Palin at Cinderloo”.
The poem was published by Proletarian Poetry here, and you can read more about the Understories project on Jean Atkin’s website. Both Whalebone and Jean Atkin toured the Understories project around libraries in Telford and across Shropshire in 2019.
Jason Lewis of Dawley’s finest, Savannah has composed a song in tribute to Cinderloo and you can hear the band performing the song “We’ve Had Enough” live on the Genevieve Tudor Folk show on BBC Radio Shropshire here.
We are delighted that Caitlin Jones and Chris Elliott have written a song “Let’s Get Together” especially for the project. The Lichfield-based duo performed the song on the opening night of the 2019 Shrewsbury Folk Festival to a packed audience.
Zines
At the time of the Cinderloo Uprising in 1821, it was difficult for people to express political views and voice concerns due to repressive legislation banning “seditious publications”.
We hope to raise awareness of this aspect of history and to celebrate the relative freedom of expression we enjoy today, by publishing a series of zines incorporating contributions from artists, writers and the local community. The first edition of Out of the Dark was published in February 2019, and you can read more about it and order a copy here.
Visual Art
Cinderloo1821 is working with Participate Contemporary Artspace to work with schools and to promote visual art projects. Jill Impey is a director of Participate and an artist in film, photography, installation and participatory practice. Using grant money awarded to Cinderloo1821 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Jill collaborated with Andrew Howe and others in the project to create a new film exploring contemporary responses to Cinderloo and making links between the landscape of 1821 and what we see today. The film introduces the Cinderloo1821 story and encourages people to find out more. The film was launched in the Autumn of 2019 with showings at the Ironbridge Festival of Imagination and Wellington Arts Festival.
The Witnesses project started from an idea by artist, Andrew Howe to locate, map and celebrate trees that are estimated to be over 200 years old, and potential witnesses to the Cinderloo Uprising. We are working with the Small Woods Association, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Severn Gorge Countryside Trust to help locate these old trees.
With an aim to make real connections between the historical events of 1821 and the landscape of Telford today, this is an inclusive, participatory project in which people can help find old trees and go on walks to follow in the footsteps of the miners. Further details will be published soon. In the meantime, if you are aware of the location of trees of at least 200 years in age, that could have witnessed the march in 1821, or if you have photos or other artwork to share, please get in contact.
Cinderloo 1821 Remembered 