Little Queens was launched at the time when millions of Ukrainians had begun to flee the devastating consequences of war in search of safety. With the support of Czech artist Tereza Bušková, women and children across Sandwell & Birmingham took part in a series of workshops where, among other creative activities, a ceremonial cloth was embroidered. 

This cloth formed a decorative canopy centrepiece which was then carried by migrant women through the streets. Surrounded by their ceremony attendants and clad in festive raiments, the Festival King and Queen walked out to bless the people of West Bromwich.

Practical creative workshops (textiles, embroidery, baking, wreathmaking and printmaking) focused on engaging women and young children from different cultural and economic backgrounds. The closed workshops focused on working with migrant families, while the public workshops targeted the richly diverse communities represented in the borough.

“At the cusp of spring and summer, rural Moravians seeking a bountiful harvest would come together to celebrate nature and the role of women, young and old alike. Some elements of the ritual have been lost to time. However, communities within Sandwell and the Black Country set about restoring the festival for a modern audience.” Tereza Buskova, Little Queens

Learn more:

• Website www.terezabuskova.com
• Twitter @terezabuskova
• Instagram @tereza.buskova
• Vimeo www.vimeo.com/734654239