AN artist is launching guided walks to uncover Colchester's links to Boudica.
The twice-monthly walks, titled Boudica Rising: A Walk of Ember and Ash, aim to reveal the 60/61 CE Iceni uprising's smouldering history beneath the city's modern facade.
Each walk is a shared exploration through key sites such as the Balkerne Gate, the foundations of the Temple of Claudius beneath Colchester Castle, and the ancient street layer where fires once roared.
Rebekah discovered Boudica in Colchester Castle in 2003, when she was newly arrived from Maine.
She said: "I wasn't afraid; I was home.
"The fire isn’t just history. It’s here. And we can feel it if we know how to listen."
Over the years, Rebekah has studied, painted and channelled Boudica's spirit into an oracle deck.
During the walks, she weaves her own story of displacement, kinship with Boudica and her Native American (Penobscot) heritage.
Rebekah, who holds a BA in fine art and an MA in gender and sexuality, uses her synesthetic perception to experience history through texture, temperature, and sound.
This method, which she calls "tactile historiography", challenges impersonal colonial narratives.
Her Boudica Rising Oracle Deck, available at Wax Spiritual's website, Red Lion Books in Colchester, and Ch-Alice Gallery in Sudbury, traces the uprising from the flogging of Boudica’s daughters to the destruction of Colchester.
Part of the proceeds from the sales of the deck supports Ch-Alice Gallery’s charity transition.
The first walk will begin at 1pm on Saturday, April 18, with the second walk set for the same time on Saturday, April 25.
Walkers will meet at Balkerne Gate on the Mercury Theatre side, and the walk will last approximately 90 minutes.
The walks are open to those aged 12 and over and cost £15 per ticket.
In July, Rebekah will walk more than 70 miles solo from Norwich to Colchester, retracing the Roman Pye Road – Boudica’s warpath.
This sensory pilgrimage will feed into two Colchester Fringe performances: a work-in-progress in July and a full 50-minute solo show in October.
Future plans include oracle decks for every city Boudica sacked, such as London and St Albans, and a legacy deck or book.
To support this larger vision, Rebekah is launching a crowdfunding campaign with a £15,000 goal on May 1.
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The funds will support the 70+ mile trek, Ch-Alice Gallery’s charity transition, the two Fringe shows, and future decks and legacy work.
The Colchester guided walks are solely funded by ticket sales and are not part of the crowdfunding appeal.
To book a place on the walks visit http://tickettailor.com/events/rebekahwallaceart/2142555.
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