The Measuring of the Mayflower

PLEASE NOTE: Due to weather warnings for Sun 23 Sep, this event's date has moved to Sun 30 Sep.

In 1620 the Mayflower sailed from Rotherhithe. The boat would carry the 'Saints' and the 'Strangers' to the New World – the 'Saints' being the Calvinist families who sought a place to practice their religion freely, the 'Strangers' being others, optimistically setting out to make a new life. The whole project was financed by the 'Adventurers', merchants who bought shares in the enterprise attracted by the riches they believed lay waiting across the Atlantic.

In the lead up to the 400th anniversary London Bubble are involving over two hundred Creative Volunteers in a series of micro-workshops and events that will share this important local history with groups in our community.

Over several hours artists and participants will measure and mark out a footprint of the Mayflower using what we know about the dimensions of the boat. The footprint will then be loaded with the appropriate number of passengers 102, drawn from participants and spectators, livestock, furniture, tools, seeds and crew. The sea shanties for raising the anchor and sails will be sung, the imaginary boat will be blessed with flame - as was the custom to see off bad spirits. The footprint will then be cleared and within it the dimensions of other boats will then be measured and marked out – boats that have more recently carried people from places of conflict to a new life in a ‘new world’.