Winter Haecca

The North Hykeham Winter Haecca, which took place in December 2016, was a festive community celebration of the town’s heritage. The event featured a community lantern parade, with beautiful hand crafted lanterns made by local schools and families; an atmospheric aerial dance performance; and a new celebratory song for North Hykeham performed by local choirs.

A design of Hykeham mill on a paper lantern created in community workshops hosted by artists Ruth Piggott and Nadya Monfrinoli.

Two pupils presenting their lanterns at the Winter Haecca.

A pupil enjoying the lantern procession which started off the Winter Haecca.

Three pupils presenting their lanterns at the Winter Haecca.

The lantern procession starting the Winter Haecca.

People of all ages made lanterns in the community workshops and came to process them on the 14th December.

The lanterns processed through the whole village green and through the stalls, here they are passing the Ridges & Furrows stall.

The procession curled round the beck at the far end of the green to finish.

Ridges & Furrows historian Dave Reeves joined musicians Crauford Thomson and Danny Pedler as they led the lantern procession playing a processional tune composed by Jo Freya.

Members of the Hykeham High Notes choir getting ready to perform Jo Freya’s North Hykeham song.

Local pupils performing the North Hykeham song.

Pupils performing Jo Freya’s North Hykeham song on stage.

Artists Ruth Pigott and Nadya Monfrinoli created larger lanterns to decorate the village green.

Dance students treated the crowd to an aerial performance inspired by the heritage of North Hykeham and the winter season.

The aerial performance was performed by members of the community of Boston and South Holland and choreographed by CircusMASH.

The aerial performers’ outfits were inspired by the winter season.

Ridges & Furrows worked with communities and schools in the area during November and December to explore the history of North Hykeham, following its story from old village to new town through themes of earth, water, wind and fire. The word Haecca was taken from an old name for the Hykeham area, which was discovered as part of the historical research.

The event opened with a community lantern procession across the Village Green, featuring beautiful hand-crafted lanterns made by children at local schools and families who attended two community workshops at The Terry O’Toole Theatre under the guidance of artists Ruth Pigott and Nadya Monfrinoli. Each of the lantern’s featured shadow designs that were inspired from the stories and images collected from North Hykeham’s wealth of history, such as the two windmills that the town grew up around – which now feature on North Hykeham’s town crest. The parade, with involved over 100 people, was led around the Village Green by musicians Danny Pedler, Crauford Thomson and Dave Reeves, who played music that was especially composed for the event by Jo Freya.

Audiences then enjoyed a spectacular aerial dance performance. ‘The Dreaming Tree’ featured participants from artsNK aerial programme, who carried out sequences of moves on silks suspended from a tree on the village green. The performers have worked with acclaimed Birmingham-based circus company, Circus Mash to come up with their stunning routine, which took themes of earth, air and dreams as its inspiration.

A new celebratory song for North Hykeham, which was especially composed by musician Jo Freya working with local school children and taking inspiration from stories connected to the town, was performed by local choirs including the Hykeham High Notes. The event formed part of North Hykeham Town Council’s annual Christmas event on the Village Green and was presented alongside Christmas songs, and a nativity featuring local school children, as well as a variety of Christmas stalls, and Santa’s grotto.

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Winter Haecca

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