Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht – People Carry People

FASHIONCLASH

Event | Fashion | Craft | Sustainable design

FASHIONCLASH brings together fashion, performance, sustainability and community spirit during historic Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht.

During the 56th edition of the Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht, FASHIONCLASH presents the project ‘People Carry People’ – a large-scale performance in which fashion, ritual, performance, community and co-creation come together. After a successful first performance during the Ommegang on Sunday, June 15, the work can be seen again on Sunday, June 22 during a second procession, with a passage across the Maas by boat as a special highlight. 

The performance was developed at the invitation of the organization of the Heiligdomsvaart, taking as its starting point the theme ‘Bridge Builders’ – a call for connection across generations, beliefs and backgrounds.

The Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht is an ancient pilgrimage tradition that has taken place every seven years in Maastricht since the 14th century. For ten days, relics, rituals and religion are interwoven with art, culture and community in contemporary ways. The Ommegang – a theatrical procession through the city – is one of the highlights of the program, for which the organization invited FASHIONCLASH to develop a project.

People Carry People is a contemporary and inclusive interpretation of the Heiligdomsvaart. More than 100 people (from 3 to 70+ years old) worked on the project: children, young people, elderly people, students and designers.

In the FASHIONCLASH Pop-Up Atelier in Centre Céramique, costumes, flags and objects were made from discarded textiles, collected via Rd4 Reinigingsdiensten Heerlen. Even the signage and signing were made circularly. The performance was created under the direction of theatre maker Noah Janssen, in collaboration with participants and students of the Maastricht Theatre Academy.

The entire performance is deliberately largely circular: from the costumes to the flags and signing – everything is made from discarded textiles. This not only makes reuse visible, but also emphasizes the power of creativity within a circular society.

The creations on display in the procession have not only been co-creatively developed, but also supplemented with unique pieces by Dutch designers, including: Ruben Jurriën, Esra Copur, Max Niereisel, Arva Bustin, Marvin Beekman, Jose Marie Sta Iglesia and Michelle Cornelissen.

The performance is free of charge and can be seen at various locations along the Ommegang route in the city centre of Maastricht. On Sunday 22 June, part of the procession will sail over the Maas – a rare moment within the programme of the Heiligdomsvaart, because this is the first time in history.

Photograpghy: Jonathan Widdershoven

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