DaDa Fest - Skin Armour
Over 2 million people returned to society as disabled/Deaf people at the end of World War One. Their experiences were varied, but they returned amidst a prevailing eugenics culture leaving many shunned, misunderstood and depreciated. Faith Bebbington worked with DaDaFest and Royal British Legion to produce a series of wreaths to commemorate servicemen who returned home disabled from World War One and conflicts ever since then. The First World War was a pinnacle moment in history when disability became more visible in society and therefore, a social issue. Faith worked with local community groups to create three wreaths exploring ideas around war and disability. The wreaths were laid on Remembrance Day, 11th November 2018 at Falkner Square and The Cenotaph, Liverpool and Wallasey Mariners’ Park, Wirral. The ceremony held in Faulkner Square remembers Black Merchant Seamen. Faith worked with members of Tiber Youth and residents from Hector Peterson House to create a 'forget-me-not' wreath to commemorate the Black Merchant Seamen and women who have returned from conflict disabled. Three of the Hector Peterson residents laid the wreath as part of a beautiful ceremony led by Sugar Dean. The wreath then returned to Hector Peterson House where it is on permanent display.
DaDaFest also worked with St Vincent's School in Liverpool and with Mariners Park in Wallasey to create two more wreaths in memory of service men and women and Merchant Seamen and women who returned from conflict disabled. St Vincent's wreath was laid at the Cenotaph in Liverpool by Ruth Gould, Artistic Director of Dadafest, and the final wreath was laid by those who made it at the Mariners Park home for retired Merchant Seamen in Wallasey.
