The conjuring of Vogum Gertlin

The conjuring of Vogum Gertlin was a new work for StrangeField's AGENDA, an evening of performance work co-curated by William Joys and Jenny Tipton in Glasgow. 

This event marked the debut of new basket regalia costumes, part of an ongoing project exploring the material culture of folk theatre. Funded by Arts Council Wales and Creative Scotland, this performance delved into the regionalisms and performed identities of the borderlands between the South West of England and Wales.

The work served as both a tribute to the wetlands of Somerset, where much of the UK's basket-weaving willow grows, and a critical examination of semi-rural masculinity and romanticised drinking cultures. Through an improvisational ceremony, the artist conjured the character of Vogum Gertlin, an invented anti-hero and traveller from Bridgwater Town, bringing a mix of reverence, chaos, and critique to the stage.

Performing alongside Tamir Petet, Stephanie Black-Daniels, William Joys and Dirt Brooks 

Photography By Chaoying Rao