--- title: "Celebrating Nottingham's overlooked female folklore" date: 2026-06-09T15:21:00+01:00 author: Andrew Napier canonical_url: "https://www.itsinnottingham.com/news/celebrating-nottinghams-overlooked-female-folklore" section: News --- [IIN News](/news/) / [Promoted City](https://www.itsinnottingham.com/news/categories/promoted-city) # Celebrating Nottingham's overlooked female folklore ![Maid Marian Workshops 83](/uploads/generic/_1225x690_crop_center-center_none/MaidMarianWorkshops-83.jpg) The exhibition brings together newly commissioned works alongside extensive community input that reframes the legendary figure, Maid Marian, through a contemporary lens. **Posted:** Jun 2026 --- Pictured - artist Alicja Biała (left), running a workshop with the Nottingham public. Nottingham's legendary female folklore figure is stepping out into her own spotlight, as independent public gallery and cultural organisation [BACKLIT](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbacklit.org.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Candrew%40itsinnottingham.com%7Cd8781d77baf4438a097f08dee0db5b03%7C4bb4a28871484e07a0a11038dfd3be55%7C0%7C0%7C639195430481221479%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5exp0OkGqXQT5oKjGBc9Cx7XPDpgULKQ5Gl%2FkateJYA%3D&reserved=0) proudly announces *Our Marian -* a new exhibition launching this July. Following on from the city’s plans to reveal a [new bronze sculpture](https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itsinnottingham.com%2Fnews%2Fmaid-marian-way-sculpture&data=05%7C02%7Candrew%40itsinnottingham.com%7Cd8781d77baf4438a097f08dee0db5b03%7C4bb4a28871484e07a0a11038dfd3be55%7C0%7C0%7C639195430481243610%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Y1f1Q5%2FgZwtisCXufl0AlV8hg8JvuBcd8EjATwhuO0I%3D&reserved=0), as part of a significant government-funded project to reshape the Maid Marian Way roundabout, *Our Marian* will delve deeper into the mythology symbolised by the medieval character. Launching on Friday 17 July at BACKLIT gallery, located just behind Sneinton Market, the exhibition brings together newly commissioned works across sculpture, film, textile and fashion, alongside extensive community input that reframes the legendary figure through a contemporary lens. The public sculpture, based on Maid Marian Way and created by Alicja Biała, will also be available to view from 2pm on the same day. In addition to the commissioned works, the exhibition will be a celebration of Nottingham’s community. Nearly 300 people from local groups – including Sutherland House School and Nottingham Women’s Centre – took part in hands-on workshops led by Alicja Biała, exploring medieval making traditions and inviting new interpretations of historical forms. Their physical creations, comprising wax moulds of local flora sourced from Nottinghamshire’s landscape, will be showcased alongside the artworks, with many also being cast into bronze to be used on the Maid Marian sculpture. Alicja Biała, artist and sculptor said: *“I’m very grateful to have been invited to work in Nottingham and for the trust placed in me throughout this project. From the beginning, I wanted the Marian sculpture to remain open-ended rather than fixed: a form that could hold many different meanings around folklore, local identity, women’s representation, May Day traditions, nature and storytelling.* *“Working with everyone who attended the workshops was a real pleasure, and their contributions became central to the sculpture. People brought plants, memories and ideas connected to Nottingham and its surroundings, and many of those forms were transformed into bronze. I hope the final work feels rooted in the city, while remaining open enough for people to bring their own stories and associations to it.”* *Our Marian* builds upon a public survey led by BACKLIT that explores what Marian means to locals today. Responses included her deserving more ‘recognition’, with one participant saying, “she is nearly always tied to Robin Hood acting as both his equal and his opposite” while another said, *“Marian’s identity is intrinsically tied to gender, so much so that ‘Maid’ is often treated as part of her name”.* Equally, many also felt Marian is a strong symbolic figure for Nottingham and instils a feeling of pride that should be more widely celebrated - *“Our sense of identity is deeply connected to where we come from. Exploring social structures, belonging, and empowerment helps us understand how history shapes our present.”* *“Unity, respect, and tolerance lay the foundation for a thriving community, one that values its people, its environment, and its shared history.”* Curated by Jazz Singh Swali, the exhibition features highly distinct responses from a lineup of artists from the BACKLIT community who approached the brief from completely different creative angles: - Alicja Biała: At the core of the exhibition is the *Hyperaccumulator* series, two indoor bronze sculptures that share a conceptual and material relationship with Alicja’s newly commissioned public monument for Maid Marian Way. - Lumina Collective: Three new commissions from BACKLIT’s resident feminist collective – featuring artists Rocky Mol, Lucy Nelson and Wingshan – engage with myth, craft, care and embodiment, drawing threads between medieval histories and modern lived experiences. - Dominique Golden: Presents *Julian of Norwich*, an experimental clay stop-motion animation exploring the medieval mystic’s writings, sparking a vital dialogue around feminine spirituality and the evolving mythology of Marian. Facilitated alongside Nottingham City Council and It’s in Nottingham, the ambitious project marks a bold new chapter for BACKLIT. Having recently secured its long-term future with the purchase of its Alfred House home, BACKLIT is firmly cementing its status as a studio and gallery of both regional and national importance. Suzanne Golden, co-director at BACKLIT, said: “Becoming the owners of our building has allowed us to look forward and take on expansive, city-wide narratives. *Our Marian* is exactly the kind of work we hope to do more of in the future – using our experience, community and insight to help facilitate meaningful projects that reinterpret local heritage with national artistic excellence, rooted in our community. “Far from a fixed historical character, this exhibition treats Marian as a site of possibility, storytelling and collective memory, celebrating the overlooked power of medieval women not just in Nottingham, but across all history.” *Our Marian* launches on Friday 17 July at BACKLIT following the unveiling of the public Maid Marian sculpture. This will be an open studio event, with visitors invited to meet the expansive BACKLIT community alongside the exhibition. The free-to-attend launch event is 6-8pm and open studios is open 5-7pm, with [tickets available to secure your place here](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/our-marian-exhibition-preview-tickets-1992568209152?msockid=0b4e42de3bcc6e8f1ea057b73a2c6f6f). The free exhibition will run from 18 July to 8 August 2026. Opening times Thursday to Saturday, 12-4pm. Location: Main Gallery (Second Floor), BACKLIT, Alfred House, Ashley Street, Nottingham, NG3 1JG. Step-free and lift access is available via Alfred Street. 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