Ladies show true colours at march
Perth ladies joined women from across Scotland for the Suffrage centenary march in Edinburgh last Sunday.
The march marked the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People’s Act, which extended the franchise to allow some women to vote.
Part of a UK-wide event, participants wore either green, white or violet, with marchers choreographed to create a variety of artwork commemorating the colours of the suffrage movement.
The procession began at The Meadows and ended at Holyrood Park, with people following in the footsteps of Scottish suffragettes in 1909, who marched along Princes Street.
A group of Perth ladies made up of Horsecross, New Horizons and council representatives took part.
Horsecross producer and programme manager Anna Beedham, was there after being approached to take part in the event by Artichoke, a company which works with artists to create extraordinary and ambitious art in public areas around the UK. Anna said: “It was really brilliant. We were really lucky to be asked to be a part of it.
“Everybody got scarves when you arrived and it was either white green or purple as they’re the Suffragettes’ colours.
“Then, as we were crossing the Royal Mile to go onto Princes Street, we walked along and you could see all the colours above us with the suffragette flag – and that same thing was happening in all the cities taking part across the UK.
“When we were walking along the street there were people on the sides of the pavement just shouting ‘well done, good for you’ and I thought this is great. It was just really, really positive. It was a commemoration Perth ladies were involved in marking the 100th anniversary but also just to remind people that we haven’t always had the vote and with everything else going on in the world it just seems very timely.”
Artichoke donated money from the 14-18 NOW fund to host four workshops and engage with a community artist to bring women in from the community to help.
The artwork they made was then taken to the march and displayed to represent the Perth and Kinross area.
Anna said: “The whole idea behind the processions was that not only was it to commemorate the women’s right to vote, it was also about doing this huge public art work.
“We made banners and little flags that had a wee inspirational phrases on them.
“Artists Pester and Rossi worked with us. They work in community groups to create really interesting and weird art work.
“The good thing about the processions is that it is a real community engagement project and I have to say that is what I got out of it the most.
“It was such a community thing, with a real mix of women from all walks of life and all caring about the same thing,” concluded Anna.
“I think it was really successful.”