Afterlives Festival: Immortelle - Anise the Phoenix

Discover a spectacular community artwork and become part of it through the Afterlives Festival.

In Victorian times, people placed beautiful glass domes on graves filled with precious objects, symbols and treasures to honour those they had lost.

Now that tradition is coming back to life, and it has found a powerful new muse.It is common knowledge that the phoenix is a mythical bird reborn from its own ashes but in some ancient accounts, this beautiful creature performs a deeper ritual.

When it senses its life force ebbing, it gathers aromatic spices and scented resins like myrrh, shaping them into an egg and placing within it the ashes of its previous self. The newly born phoenix must then carry this precious object to a sacred place.

Inspired by both of these traditions, Newcastle-based Moving Parts Arts has worked with artist Chloe Rodham to create Anise the Phoenix, a stunning new artwork that asks you to take part in making and crafting together.Using traditional paper quilling techniques, participants will craft a delicate, hollow, egg-shaped form, echoing the vessel the phoenix creates.

At the heart of the workshop is a quiet ceremony: using a phoenix feather made of paper, where you will be asked to write a short message in ink. These could be a memory of a loved one lost, words left unsaid, or a reflection on personal rebirth. These objects will be displayed around Anise, making this Immortelle a living portrait of our Newcastle community.

What to expect:

• A unique community art installation to discover
• The story behind the Victorian and mythological traditions that inspired the work
• Free community workshops using traditional paper quilling techniques

Why come?

Art that belongs to a community tells a shared story. Immortelles is a chance to leave your mark on something genuinely beautiful and to see yourself reflected in a work of art made by and for the people around you.

Who it's for: Ages 12+ and adults

About the artists

Chloe Rodham (commissioned artist) is an animator and maker based in the north-east. She works across many materials to tell stories, drawing inspiration from the natural world and folklore. For this event she will be creating Anise, a model phoenix made using the same techniques participants will explore in the workshop.

Molly Barrett-Manasseh (workshop facilitator) is a Suffolk-born, Newcastle-based designer, maker and arts facilitator. She has worked across many visual art forms and mediums including puppetry, theatre, installation art and sculpture, and will be delivering the workshop element of the installation.

Find out more: www.movingpartsarts.com