Celebrate Leamington's link with war-time camouflage

Art, cinema and music are among the inventive ways people in Leamington can explore the history of camouflage in the town as part of a summer festival.
People can create knitted graffiti for the Pump Room columns as part of the Leamington Camouflage Festival.People can create knitted graffiti for the Pump Room columns as part of the Leamington Camouflage Festival.
People can create knitted graffiti for the Pump Room columns as part of the Leamington Camouflage Festival.

The Leamington Canouflage Festival, which will take place at various locations across the town between July and October, has been put together by a group of volunteers keen to celebrate a little-known aspect of the town’s history, to coincide with an exhibition taking place at Leamington Art Gallery.

The exhibition, Concealment and Deception, will look at the work of the Camouflage Group during the Second World War, as the Government set up a Directorate of Camouflage in 1939, with its headquarters in Leamington.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Krsitie Naimo, member of the Camouflage Festival committee, said: “People have really embraced the theme of camouflage for their events – we even have a local poet writing some camouflage-inspired poetry, some of which you can read already on the website.”

Highlights include a camouflage-themed Art in the Park festival (August 6 and 7) - complete with a Community Camouflage Quarter where participants can take part in creating some camouflage artwork that will temporarily be installed in Jephson Gardens; free craft activities at an event hosted by Leamington Looks Back and the Friends of the Pump Room Gardens on August 27; and a special ‘camouflaged gig’ at a secret location organised by Leamington LAMP.

The Leamington Underground Cinema will also hold two secret screenings on the subject of camouflage and for the history buffs, Leamington History Fair on September 3 will have more information about this important aspect of Leamington’s history.

More events will be taking place at Foundry Wood, the Pump Room and other locations around town.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Festival committee member Pip Burley said: “It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate this vital part of Leamington’s heritage with an inclusive festival that covers history, music, film, and visual arts events. There are some fantasically talented local artists that have come together to make this festival really special.”

For full details, visit leamington-camo.co.uk