Fashioning a Parade like no other
For the first commission in the Cultural Development Fund supported programme of artist-led activity in Berwick-upon-Tweed, multimedia artist Matthew Rosier brought the Berwick community inside of Berwick Barracks as a spectacular parade of giants, moving and dancing in a joyful procession. Berwick Barracks is one of the town’s most iconic heritage sites, designed by distinguished architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, coming into use in the 18th Century and now undergoing renovation and redevelopment as part of the Living Barracks partnership programme, which sets out to develop the Barracks into a thriving cultural hub for the town. This will bring empty buildings and spaces back into use in a way which supports tourism, the community and the local economy. Alongside the capital works, a programme of cultural engagement known as ‘Berwick Shines’ is delivering a series of artist-led residencies and commissions.
Commissioning
Berwick Parade was co-commissioned by Create Berwick and The Maltings‘ as the first commission for the Living Barracks Partnership. Rosier’s proposal was selected from over 20 applications by a panel of community partners on the Living Barracks project, including representatives from the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB), Berwick Record Office, and received additional art commission funding from Create Berwick.
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“Matthew Rosier is the perfect choice. His innovative approach to light and space will bring an exciting new dimension to the Barracks. Berwick Parade aligns perfectly with what Create Berwick is all about, celebrating local heritage through contemporary, creative expression.” Andrea Oliver, Culture and Creative Zone Manager, Create Berwick.
Community participation
Over 800 participants from Berwick took part in the parade, attending one of six filming days in January and February at Berwick Barracks, where they paraded in front of a 1:10 scale set choreographed by Berwick-based artist Chloë Sayers, and were filmed by North East filmmaker Carl Joyce.
The raw footage was then knitted together by Rosier and his technical team, and turned into a film that could be projected at a monumental scale on to the inner walls of Berwick Barracks, to be viewed from the iconic parade ground that had previously hosted many military parades, and accompanied by live music from local musicians playing special arrangements of traditional KOSB parade music.
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Inverting the traditional
Part of Rosier’s concept was to invert the traditional parade; to feature the people from the community who might not always be celebrated or noticed including NHS Staff, volunteer gardeners, local fishermen and Berwick Rangers supporters, as well as performers like Nancy’s Dancers (Berwick’s highland dancing troupe) morris dancers, choirs, town dignitaries and, importantly, members of the KOSB veterans association. He put the public at the centre of the Barracks, quite literally while honouring the pivotal role the Barracks has played in the town’s social and cultural life for centuries.
The Berwick Parade was experienced as an ‘outdoor spectacular’ event by over 2500 attendees over three evenings in late February and early March, bringing light and joy to the dark winter months. Such high numbers for both participation and attendance would be eye-catching even in larger cities, so for the largely rural community around Berwick this is all the more impressive, signifying a massive cross-section of the community coming together for the event. The team producing the CDF programme is embedded in the wider Maltings (Berwick) Trust team, all working together to deliver these events at a scale never-before seen in Berwick. With a festive atmosphere including local food and drink vendors, these events created an opportunity to imagine what the Barracks could become.
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“The Maltings team are proud and excited to be working with Matthew and his colleagues on Berwick Parade, giving us all an exciting glimpse of a vibrant future for the Barracks as a venue for creativity, celebration and the gloriously unexpected – to be enjoyed by our whole community in the years to come. We’ll do our utmost to ensure that Berwick Parade is just the start.” Ros Lamont, CEO, the Maltings (Berwick) Trust.
Challenge and response
The community response to Rosier’s vision went far beyond targets for engagement, which is part down to the innovative way it was approached, as well as the tight-knit and interconnected nature of Berwick’s audiences. Soon after commissioning, Rosier spent a day at the Maltings (Berwick) Trust venue at Eastern Lane delivering ‘information sessions’ alongside the Berwick Shines producers. These took place throughout the day and into the evening, giving a wide cross section of community members the opportunity to attend. Around 80 people were present, and with more than 800 people eventually taking part, this was clearly an effective way to communicate in Berwick.
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Berwick upon Tweed is a beautiful rural market town at the mouth of the River Tweed and just a couple of miles from the Scottish border. It has population of just over 12,000 and a strong tradition of grassroots community activity – everything from Heritage Preservation Societies to community music and drama groups, annual festivals, and a tradition of Parade and Processions. Berwick also has its challenges – a low income economy and lots of seasonal employment, its young people leaving the town permanently for work and study. Perceived as remote, many people only know Berwick from the stunning views you see from the East Coast main line train. With Berwick Shines we aim to make people rethink their perception of Berwick, make them visit, and keep visiting – all the while working closely with the local population.
Matthew Rosier said: “This project has been so joyful to create. It features hundreds of local participants, more than anything I’ve been part of before. Each of whom brought their own creativity, playfulness and most importantly, fun to this process. Thank you welcoming me with warmth from the start, and the trust you’ve shown in me and the team. I’ve discovered that Berwick is a special place.”
Capital development
The Maltings (Berwick) Trust venue at Eastern Lane is now closed to the public ahead of significant capital works that will reimagine the organisation’s flagship venue with two new purpose built cinemas, a multi-use theatre space, studios, rehearsal rooms and an up-to-date accessible and environmentally sound design. The artists commissioned for the ‘Berwick Shines’ programme until Spring 2026 are multi-disciplinary with strong creative engagement strands to every project: theatre maker Lewis Hetherington, audio-visual artist Gareth Hudson, writer and visual artist Caroline Jupp, visual artists Beth J Ross and Cath Campbell. One residency will place an artist at the town’s only secondary school, Berwick Academy, through the next academic year – an exciting first for the school, and for us. Overall the programme will take place in non-traditional exhibition venues and unusual spaces around the town of Berwick, tying into the creativity already present in town’s communities, and building on the enthusiastic engagement and good will created by Berwick Parade.
