Date
November 15th, 2015

Location
Church Street, Preston

Client
They Eat Culture

Audience Figure
700

Photography
They Eat Culture

Programme Highlight
In the last scene, a rally of cars paraded slowly up Church St in a procession towards the battle set. The street was illuminated only by a takeaway's neons. Then, suddenly, a great flash of rifles and their report echoed between the houses. Alex cruised by like a figurine atop the roof of a moving car as it traversed our urban battle ground - the commemoration of the anniversary complete.

The Last Battle marked the historic anniversary of 1715's final battle between Jacobite and Government armies. It was fought on the streets of Preston, where 300 years ago barricades were built, buildings engulfed in flame, and citizens went to war. The event helped people discover the history of the battle, and what really happened when the armies clashed here. 

We worked with They Eat Culture to realise a complex vision layering historic with contemporary, resulting in a site-specific performance that brought Lower Church Street to life. The event brought light, sound and performance to present-day takeaways, bars, restaurants and the pedestrianised highway - all located at the original battle site.

Funded by Heritage Lottery and collaboratively delivered by They Eat Culture and The Harris Museum,  the event saw 700 people attend The Last Battle's highly unusual performance on a dark November night, witnessing Actor and Political Poet Mark Mace-Smith and Preston based Mobius Loop deliver a modern and moving commemoration of an urban battle.