‘Stay at Home’ lantern parade to launch Walk of Hearts and Stars

A ‘Stay at Home’ Lantern Parade will be making its way through the streets of Filwood on Thursday 29 October – with residents encouraged to watch out of their windows.

The parade will feature lanterns created by children from Christ the King and Greenfield E-act primary schools during workshops with artist Alan May from Arts Enlarge.

It will mark the launch of the Filwood Fantastic Walk of Hearts and Stars – which will be on public display from Friday 30 October and throughout November on the Broadway and at Filwood Community Centre.

The Walk of Hearts and Stars will celebrate and remember local people in Knowle West during the COVID-19 crisis.

The hearts will commemorate the lives of Knowle Westers lost during the pandemic – unable to have a funeral or memorial. These will be displayed in the window of re:store in Filwood Broadway.

The Stars celebrate the efforts of volunteers and others “going above and beyond to make a difference and support the local community.” Inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, these will be on show in the courtyard of Filwood Community Centre mounted on poles.

Some 28 Stars have been made, all decorated by local people – with 48 people and places nominated.

This year’s event is a re-imagined version of the annual Hearts and Stars award ceremony due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This is normally held around Volunteers’ week at Filwood Community Centre.

It has been a collaboration between KWMC: The Factory based at Filwood Green Business Park and the usual ceremony organisers at Filwood Community Centre.

Over the summer The Factory has been busy working with local people to create the display.

This will showcase people’s talents in knitting, sewing and crochet to make the hearts.

Residents have also worked with Art & Energy to create light-up solar panel art for the stars – through online workshops and at-home making.

Fiona Dowling from KWMC: The Factory says: “We’re excited to be launching The Walk of Hearts and Stars this week with our ‘stay at home’ lantern parade on Thursday 29 October.

“We’re asking people not to crowd around the exhibition on the same night, but instead look of their windows between 6 and 7pm on Thursday night to see the lantern parade doing a loop of the Filwood area to announce the launch.

“We would then encourage people to come and have a look at the hearts in the window of re:store, and the stars in the Filwood Communty Centre courtyard, in their own time at some point throughout November.

“There should be lots of familiar names to spot, and the artworks look great all lit up at night!”

A digital booklet has been produced with more information and pictures about the people who have been nominated for the Hearts and Stars, with a limited number of printed copies available too.

You can contact Fiona Downling if you would like one at: fiona@kwmc.org.uk

The parade runs from 6-7pm on Thursday 29 October, starting from Filwood Community Centre. It will cover the following streets during the hour, before making it’s way back to the Centre.

• Barnstaple Road

• Filwood Broadway

•  Hartcliffe Road

•  Padstow Road

•  Newquay Road

•  Ilminster Avenue 

•  Melvin Square

•  Leinster Avenue 

•  Broadbury Road

To keep up to date with developments see the Walk of Hearts and Stars Facebook Page.