QueerQuest #3

Google Streetview: https://maps.app.goo.gl/V6PTUYtUMZu7XcMi6
Geocache code: GCBE1X1

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Gawain sets out alone on his journey to the Green Chapel. Long and solitary, the trail through the landscape is a time of self-reflection and struggle against loneliness.

When have you felt isolated or set apart from the ‘norm,’ perhaps because of your identity, experiences or the desire for an unconventional path? How has solitude, even if challenging, led you to a deeper understanding of your own thoughts, desires, or the strength within you?

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Artists Statement: Inspired by LGBTQ+ lives and the path that Gawain takes to reach Lord Bertilak’s castle, dreadfully lonely, isolated and threatening, this piece of artwork uses broken ceramic pieces from Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry to represent a difficult yet hope-filled, colourful pathway that leads to a new chapter in the protagonist’s life.

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This area is very near to the site of the former Dieu-la-Cres Abbey. This Cistercian monastery is thought to have been the home of the Gawain-poet, explaining his intimate knowledge of the local landscape and the detailed descriptions of the hunting grounds and topography. The religious life is one of order and contemplation and, despite its community setting, often one of isolation. On this ancient site, many have chosen to leave the world of survival and subsistence in order to pursue a higher ideal.

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John Smith, a Romany Gypsy tinker from Biddulph, was born female but lived openly as a man for over 40 years during the 19th century. Known for his confident and combative nature, he paradoxically feared being exposed, often fleeing from anyone who knew his past and pleading with them to “keep my secret.” His compelling life, however, was tragically undone after his death in 1848, when a medical officer ignored his final wish and revealed his secret to the public.

LINK: https://medium.com/@rebeccajade/keep-my-secret-moments-in-the-life-of-john-smith-46f46cda7b3b

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“[Pretending to be straight] wasn’t conscious, I wasn’t putting it on – but acting is something that always comes naturally to me. It was part of playing the role… it felt great until it wasn’t.”