Reconnect with nature and celebrate the coming of summer at Bethlem Gallery.

Join us from 2pm for a folk revival parade with music and performances from Morris dancing troupes Black Swan Border Morris and the Wild Hunt. Bring your own costume, the weirder and more wonderful the better! All ages welcome but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 

After the parade you are welcome to explore the meadows and woodland of Bethlem grounds. 

This event runs alongside the group exhibition Elsewhere which shows from 24 May to 9 September 2023. You can also join a workshop happening earlier that morning to make your own mask for the parade. Find out more here.

Black Swan Border Morris 
Black Swan are a mixed gender morris dancing team based in Carshalton Surrey. 

They chose their name to refer to the historic black swan breeding in Hackbridge. They dance their interpretation of border morris, which originates from the English Welsh borders, and can be traced back to the 16th Century. 
https://www.blackswanbordermorris.co.uk/

Wild Hunt Morris
Formed in September 1991, and from Croydon, the Wild Hunt are a ‘mixed’ side affiliated to the Morris Federation with men and women dancers and musicians. 

“Our dances blend ancient North European Mythology with our own interpretation of Bedlam Morris. The dancing is energetic, noisy and accompanied by robust traditional tunes. We aim to produce drama and spectacle and to capture some original magic for our audiences. 

We wear masks as a form of disguise, historically to prevent identification when dancing for money. Our coats, known as ‘tatters’ are jackets of strips of cloth.” 
https://wildhunt.org.uk/