The Braid Arts Centre

This banner is based on old sepia photographs of Suffragettes. It honours the artists, the creators and the makers – whether a policy maker or a home maker. The group have included a range of symbols, such as the Holloway Broad Arrow prison clothing symbol, and flowers with various meanings, such as tulips for love. A range of symbols represent various art forms, from music, to dance, to weave and crafts. There are also symbols to represent the various cultures of the women who helped sew the banner. A limited palette is used, which represents the colour pallet of 1918. The banner is entirely hand-stitched, with hand stencils cut and stencilled over the cloth.

“Having worked for many years on community arts projects, this was by far the most energetic, inspiring and enjoyable project to deliver. The women involved in my banner, from all 4 corners of the globe, were completely fabulous, and the parade on the 10th June in Belfast was an unforgettable day of women supporting each other and suitably commemorating a massive event in our history.”
Rosalind Lowry, Artist for the project

Named after the river that runs through Ballymena, the Braid weaves together history, arts and culture alongside contemporary conference, tourism and civic facilities on a site that has been for centuries the centre of local civic life.