Warwickshire exhibition celebrates British folk costumes

The Jack in the Green May Day festival dates back to the 16th Century and is still celebrated in Hastings

Costumes celebrating British folk customs, some stretching back centuries, are to be shown in a new exhibition.

Events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, Padstow's Obby Oss, all feature in the show dedicated to British folk costume and customs.

Making Mischief brings together more than 40 costumes created, customised and worn by groups and individuals.

Many outfits will be on public display for the first time.

All-female Morris sides such as Gloucestershire's Boss Morris also feature in the exhibition

Each costume demonstrates how widespread and diverse such folk customs are, from rural locations to towns and cities, as well as the creativity and evolution of Britain's folk communities, said organisers.

The exhibition also highlights how strong connections with the environment and natural world are explored across these very different communities.

A programme working with local groups, practical workshops and community events, will also be staged.

"It is especially exciting to have this exhibition at Compton Verney, where so many of the themes will resonate with our rural location and the layered history of our site, as well with our local communities," said the venue's curator Oli McCall.

The Festival of the Horse and the Boys Ploughing Match take place annually in the Orkney Islands, Scotland

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is still celebrated today

The show also highlights developing practices, such as the rise of all-female Morris sides and the inclusion of LGBT performers in some customs.

Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain is at the Compton Verney museum, near Stratford-upon-Avon, from 11 February to 11 June 2023.