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Un/Common People

Folk Culture in Wessex 

November 2024 – May 2026

In November 2024, Wessex Museums will launch a major touring exhibition Un/Common People: Folk Culture in Wessex, celebrating the vibrant and dynamic folk art and seasonal customs from across the region, past and present. Opening at Museum & Art Swindon on 29 November, the exhibition will then tour to Wiltshire Museum, Poole Museum, and The Salisbury Museum throughout 2025-26.

Un/Common People redefines the term ‘commoner’ by showcasing the extraordinary creativity found in regional folk culture whilst challenging preconceptions of folk by exploring how it has been adopted, reimagined and enriched by the people of Wessex today.

Curated by Simon Costin and Mellany Robinson from The Museum of British Folklore, and Amy de la Haye from the London College of Fashion, the exhibition features a remarkable collection of more than 100 objects, many of which have not been on public display before. Highlights include, a handcrafted Wiltshire sweetheart pin cushion made by a World War I veteran, a rare ship crafted entirely from straw linked to Poole’s maritime heritage, and a portrait by a Nigerian artist painted whilst seeking asylum in Swindon. Each artefact has its own tale to tell, echoing the relevance and enduring appeal of folk culture.

Each museum will display additional objects from their own collections and platform new folk art, co-created with local communities and artists offering fresh perspectives on what folk means to Wessex people today. 

“Folk culture is about people, their lives, fears, desires and how they celebrate and express themselves creatively. The Museum of British Folklore does not yet have a permanent venue and so we work as itinerant curators; every project provides a thrilling new challenge! Folk culture is global, but the focus is local. At Wessex, we have collaborated with our curatorial colleagues who have generously opened their collections and shared their local knowledge with us. Our objective is to reveal the distinctive – and perhaps unexpected - heritage of folk culture in Wessex and reveal its resurgence, vitality, inclusivity and, diversity today.”
Exhibition Curator Simon Costin, Museum of British Folklore

Complementing the objects on display, the exhibition will include a showcase of the region’s intangible folk culture and heritage through film and photography by Create Studios capturing the vibrant seasonal customs of Wessex. Also, a folk song and story map illustrated by artist Bridie Cheeseman, will feature five traditional regional folk songs reimagined by local musician Chloe Herington working alongside local communities.

"This exhibition and the wider project that has brought it to life, is a celebration of the vibrant folk culture of our region. It is also a demonstration of how partnership working, as museums, but also with a range of experts, artists and importantly, our diverse local communities across Wessex, enables us to tell the stories of our region in ways that are more relevant to more people.”
Kristina Broughton, CEO of Wessex Museums Trust

Exhibition tour dates

Museum & Art Swindon

29 November 2024 – 8 March 2025

Visit the exhibition

The Salisbury Museum

April – September 2025

Poole Museum

October 2025 – January 2026

The Salisbury Museum

February – May 2026​

Aknowledgements 

Museum of British Folklore and Create Studios

Exhibition Curators

Simon Costin & Mellany Robinson, Exhibition Curators, Museum of British Folklore 

Amy De La Haye, Exhibition Curator, Centre for Fashion Curation, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

Funders

The exhibition has been made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and The Swire Charitable Trust.

Back to Exhibitions
More about the project

Image Credit Top Row: Ooser at Cerne Abbas (Create Studio, 2024) | Summer Solstice at Stonehenge (Create Studios, 2024) | Poole Speedway fans (Poole Museum) Middle Row: Patchwork quilt, c.1830s, handstitched cotton (The Salisbury Museum) | Portrait by anonymous artist, c.2021 (Museum & Art Swindon) | Sweetheart pin cushion, 1914–1918, made by servicemen (Museum of British Folklore) Bottom Row: Wooden ocean liner, c.1930s, carved and painted (Museum of British Folklore) | Corn dolly (Museum of British Folklore) | Apple Wassailing at Richard Jefferies Museum, Swindon (Create Studios, 2024)

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