The Maid Marian statue and Our Marian exhibition are celebrating Nottingham’s famous female folklore figure
We speak with BACKLIT in Sneinton about the project and the accompanying artworks
Maid Marian is a name known but not always shouted about. Thankfully, she’s being showcased both with a new sculpture on Maid Marian Way, and as part of the Our Marian at BACKLIT.
The exhibition launches on July 17 at BACKLIT, located behind Sneinton Market, following the unveiling of the public Maid Marian sculpture. This will be an open studio event, with visitors invited to meet the BACKLIT community alongside the exhibition. The free-to-attend launch event is 6-8pm, while the open studios are open from 5-7pm (eventbrite.co.uk).
From here, the exhibition will run from July 18-August 8, with opening times Thursday to Saturday, 12-4pm (backlit.org.uk).
If you’re looking for July events and things to do in Nottingham, seeing this wonderful sculpture and the exhibition around it are both excellent ideas. For more features and guides, subscribe to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
The Maid Marian statue and Our Marian exhibition are celebrating Nottingham’s famous female folklore figure
Words and photos by Eve Smallman
Everyone knows Robin Hood and Maid Marian – the classic rebel couple that have etched their way through time in folklore, films, and fairytales. But it’s not often that Maid Marian herself is observed by herself, even in our own city and county.
This has now changed, with a public sculpture embodying her on Maid Marian Way available for all to see. In October 2024, BACKLIT was invited by It’s in Nottingham, alongside Nottingham City Council, to lead the management and artistic commissioning process for the new public artwork.
The project formed part of a wider central government initiative to reshape the road system at Maid Marian Way. The decision to put Maid Marian centre stage was due to the natural prominence of the location, the name of the road, as well as the limited representation of her around the city – all information formed from public feedback.
‘Robin Hood has contributed enormously to Nottingham’s identity and remains an internationally recognised symbol of the city – however, this felt like an opportunity for Marian to take centre stage,’ shares Suzanne Golden, co-director of BACKLIT. ‘Women’s stories are often underrepresented within historical narratives and, although Maid Marian originates from folklore, she represents a wider legacy of women past, present, and future.’
She says that the project provides a space to explore themes of identity, independence, resilience, justice and equality, all while recognising Marian as a figure who challenges traditional gender expectations and demonstrates agency despite the social constraints of her time.
‘Maid Marian’s connection to the May Queen tradition links her to medieval celebrations of nature’s renewal and the changing seasons – as a symbolic figure of spring, she represents growth, fertility and the relationship between human communities and the natural world,’ Suzanne continues. ‘This ecological reading positions Marian not only as a heroine of social justice, but also as a figure connected to cycles of regeneration and care for the environment.’
The artist chosen for the sculpture was Alicja Biala – a contemporary Polish artist known for her large-scale public works. BACKLIT approached a shortlist of artists directly to invite them to submit a proposal based on the brief. From here, the Council Statue Committee reviewed the submissions, and ultimately decided on Alicja.
‘She has a strong track record of delivering public arts sculptures across Europe. Her idea met the brief well, with a focus on the environment and the use of native plants to form the work,’ says Suzanne. ‘She had also created a work that was symbolic of Maid Marian, although still allows the public to create their own interpretation of her and her character - the artwork was presented as a community socially engaged process, and we felt that ultimately it was the most compelling offer.’
Alicja led a weeklong series of intensive workshops, focused for different ages and abilities, with contributors from Sutherland House School, St Joseph Primary School, Bluecoat Aspley Academy, Women’s Centre, BACKLIT artist members, as well as the general public.
‘Throughout the week, we had nearly 300 people contribute, including those who completed our survey – they were invited to bring along native plants, and collectively they made over 700 waxed plants,’ Suzanne says. ‘The majority have been taken to the Castle Foundry, Liverpool by Alicja to be cast in bronze and will be used as part of the actual structure of the statue.’ Through the use of native plants, the work highlights the importance of the area’s green surroundings and our own connection to the natural landscape.
Alongside the creation of the Maid Marian sculpture, BACKLIT has been working closely with the arts and feminist collective, Lumin, to produce new commissioned work for Our Marian. Artists featured are Rocky Mol, Lucy Nelson and Wingshan. ‘Through successful funding from UKSPF, the newly produced work addresses medieval women – we focused on medieval headwear, class, gender and social themes,’ shares Suzanne. This extends the collaborative theme of the project.
For Our Marian, Alicja Biala also presents the Hyperaccumulator series – two indoor bronze sculptures that share a conceptual and material relationship with her newly commissioned public monument, which will stand proudly Maid Marian Way. ‘Intersecting ecology, foraging and botanical forms from the Nottinghamshire landscape, Alicja’s work reclaims bronze, a material historically reserved for the statues of male figures, to explore environmental and female resilience,’ Suzanne explains.
There is also an animation by Dominique Golden about Julian of Norwich. For the Maid Marian exhibition, Dominique explored connections between Julian and Marian, returning to Julian’s visions of the Virgin Mary. An artist map has helpfully been designed to show the location of the statue to BACKLIT, along with a publication that documents the whole project.
As well as curating Our Marian, BACKLIT has plenty of projects in the works and planned for the rest of the year. ‘We’re the largest studio space in the Midlands, and we are thriving and growing on both a physical and operational scale,’ Suzanne tells me. ‘Our core premise is about supporting the creative practitioners in the city with artist professional development, signposting, networking and guidance.’
BACKLIT is part of a September touring exhibition spanning Nottingham, Brighton and Portsmouth, which is bringing together artists and curators in to engage with the work of Tessa Boffin – a pioneering British photographer and performance artist whose work confronted sexuality, gender and social identity.
Plus, Jazz Singh Swali, BACKLIT curator, has led on lots of development for its onsite archive. ‘The archive celebrates the history of the building as a Victorian textile factory, previous community and artist-led practice, in physical, digital and audio form – we expect this space to be a real focus and feature of the new ground floor,’ Suzanne adds.
For now, it’s Maid Marian coming into the spotlight. ‘Our Marian offers a fresh perspective on one of Nottingham’s most enduring legends, bringing together contemporary artists who reimagine Maid Marian through themes of identity, folklore, feminism, ecology and community,’ says Suzanne. ‘The exhibition invites visitors to explore how a familiar historical figure continues to inspire new conversations and creative responses today.’
Alongside the exhibition, BACKLIT provides an opportunity to experience Nottingham’s vibrant contemporary art scene. ‘Whether you’re interested in local history, contemporary art or discovering new creative voices, Our Marian offers a unique reason to visit and explore both the exhibition and the wider BACKLIT programme,’ Suzanne finishes by saying.
The Maid Marian sculpture is available to view on Maid Marian Way, while the Our Marian exhibition will run from July 18-August 8, with opening times Thursday to Saturday, 12-4pm (backlit.org.uk).
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