Matthew Rosier: Berwick Parade

Over three spectacular evenings from 28 February – 2 March 2025, Berwick Barracks opened its historic gates to welcome over 2,500 people to watch in wonder as the walls of the Parade Ground transformed into a joyful procession of giant figures moving and dancing in joyful procession – Berwick Parade.

Matthew Rosier’s proposal was selected from over 20 applications by a panel of community partners on the Living Barracks project, including representatives from The King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB), Berwick Record Office, and with additional funding from Create Berwick.

Over 800 participants from Berwick took part in the parade, attending one of six filming days in January and February at Berwick Barracks, where they paraded in front of a 1:10 scale set choreographed by Berwick-based artist Chloë Sayers, and were filmed by North East filmmaker Carl Joyce.

The raw footage was then knitted together by Rosier and his technical team, and turned into a film that could be projected at a monumental scale on to the inner walls of Berwick Barracks, to be viewed from the iconic parade ground that had previously hosted many military parades, and accompanied by live music from local musicians playing special arrangements of traditional KOSB parade music.

Part of Rosier’s concept was to invert the traditional parade; to feature the people from the community who might not always be celebrated or noticed including NHS Staff, volunteer gardeners, local fishermen and Berwick Rangers supporters, as well as performers like Nancy’s Dancers (Berwick’s highland dancing troupe) morris dancers, choirs, town dignitaries and, importantly, members of the KOSB veterans association. He put the public at the centre of the Barracks, quite literally while honouring the pivotal role the Barracks has played in the town’s social and cultural life for centuries.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BERWICK PARADE CAST LIST