During Spring and Summer of 2023, a special group of people from Maryport came together with the Made in Maryport project and Ragged Edge Productions to develop an Audio Adventure for the town centre.
They discussed and explored oral histories, local archive material and the unique character of the town and its people.
In one memorable and enjoyable session, participants shared dialect phrases which they felt were instantly recognisable within the town. From these, the title of the eventual Audio Adventure was chosen. Jus’ Git On Wid It encapsulated the resilience of the people throughout Maryport’s history and indicated the straight talking, hard working, no nonsense character of the town.
This left a whole list of other well used phrases which the group had identified which had both inspired the sharing of personal stories in the group and generated much self-depreciating humour.
As the Made in Maryport project exists to connect the community to its identity and stories through art and heritage activities, Yan Tan Tethera Creative took the phrases and used graphic design to connect them in a humorous manner to well known traditional cultural images and styles. The images produced are intended to raise a smile of recognition and celebrate Maryport’s identities, stories and language as an equally valid source of inspiration for high culture as any other.
With huge thanks to:
Stefan Escreet at Ragged Edge Productions, Karen Thompson at Yan Tan Tethera Creative, Stuart Eve, Christine Slater, Joanne Hill, Mitchell Hill, Jason Renwick, Barbara Markham, Angela Sibson, Amy Austin, David Malcolm and Maria Hardy-Sims.