Human rights activists from all over the world have used iconic symbols to clearly (and often colourfully) communicate their demands.The Cap of Liberty has been used for hundreds of years as a symbol of democratic freedom. Join us in Manchester for the biggest gathering of Liberty Caps since Peterloo.

 

Friday 16th Aug - Meet opposite the Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St, M2 5NS, 3:45pm for a 4pm sharp departure to the site of the massacre. Saturday 17th Aug - Bring your Liberty Caps to the Illegal Picnic, Manchester Central forecourt, Windmill Street, M2 3GX, 3pm!!

 

More information and guides for making your own liberty caps below...
 
 
 

Sculpted and Paper Mache Liberty Caps

Paper Mache is a great way to create light-weight liberty cap shells of all sizes. These can be painted/decorated, attached to a pole and carried.
Agitprops artists Paul and Eva will be delivering free workshops around Greater Manchester over July and August to demonstrate some simple and sturdy paper mache techniques for building paper mache liberty caps. (See dates below)

Participants will be invited to make paper mache shells of all sizes, from the smaller traditional-sized ones that can be carried by an individual on the top of a flagpole, to large, stand-alone liberty cap sculptures which will create a high-impact when they are raised above the crowd.

Confirmed Workshop Dates

27th July - Manchester Central Library
28th July - Salford Museum
3rd August - Gallery Oldham
10th August - Middleton Arena

Schools and Community Groups

We are currently looking into methods for mass producing shells so that schools can be supplied with a simple way for even the youngest students to get involved and decorate their own liberty cap.

Classes or community groups may also wish to create their own paper mache liberty cap shells from scratch using our Blue Peterloo instruction guide.

Some funding is available for us to supply pre-made liberty cap shells to schools. Alternatively Paul and Eva will be available in July to deliver Liberty Cap building workshops in schools. Paul and Eva are also happy to advise or give tips to anyone who would like to organise their own liberty cap building workshop. For all enquiries please email us at contact@peterloomassacre.org
 
 
 
 

Cloth, Textiles and Yarn Liberty Caps

Calling all knitters, sewers, weavers, crochet artists, embroiderers, quilters, patchworkers and other textile artists!

Come and show off your skills and imagination by creating your very own take on the traditional cloth caps of liberty, as carried by the Peterloo Reformers to the meeting on St. Peter's Field on the 16th August 1819.

We want to see as many different shapes, sizes, styles and adaptations that you can think of. Feel free to be ambitious and wacky!
Caps may be worn or carried on poles. (Some traditional cloth liberty caps were lined with tin!) Other rigid linings, like large plastic soft drink bottles, could be used so they can be carried on poles.

For inspiration, you might like to do an internet image search for 'cloth phrygian caps' - the only recommendation we make is that the main colours of the caps are red, as this will give a stronger impact to the look of the crowd when we gather on the 16th and 17th August.

Please contact us directly via contact@peterloomassacre.org if you are part of a community group or would like to take a leading role in spreading the word or organising cloth/textile/yarn liberty cap making workshops. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated!

And don't forget to join our Rise facebook group for more opportunities to share ideas, organise working groups and offer help of all kinds.

These are just a couple of ways to make liberty caps, but don't be limited by our suggestions - Invent your own!
We hope you'll amaze us with your creativity and talent.

Join in the fun, go Liberty Cap crazy... Everybody's doing it.