Exhibition: Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain

Making More Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain is the sequel to Compton Verney’s 2023 exhibition, Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain, which was the first of its kind to explore the pivotal role of costume in folk customs thriving across Britain today and the rich tapestry of people bringing them to life.

Now, in collaboration with the Museum of British Folklore, and as part of the same project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, LCF's Making More Mischief builds on this narrative by zooming in with a London lens to further explore class, sexuality, ethnicity and identity to challenge preconceived ideas that seasonal folk cultures and customs need to be fixed, nostalgic or predominantly rural.

Traditions such as London’s carnivals, Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race, Swan Upping and Somali May Day traditions come together in Making More Mischief unified through the shared values of folk dress rooted in identity, non-conformity and subversiveness.

Full outfits will be displayed across LCF’s three floors of public showcasing areas alongside many voices of the wearers and/or makers as written or oral testimonies. These communicate the deeply personal individual and community expressions of lives lived and desires, which permeate all folk culture.

Ian has Visited - review here.