Timeline Stories Archives - William Blake poet artist visionary radical

August 2018 – the stone is unveiled

On Sunday 12th August 2018, Bunhill Fields in London welcomed the long-awaited gathering of William Blake admirers for the ceremony to unveil his new gravestone. Finding Blake was there – filming, interviewing speakers and participants and taking part in the moment of communal respect for and reflection of this great artist, poet and visionary and his legacy for us.

Unveiling Ceremony – speakers from James Murray-White on Vimeo.

August 2018 – the stone is in place

Finding Blake film maker James Murray-White was on site at Bunhill Fields to record the setting in place of William Blake’s new stone. Here is a tiny teaser to promote the ceremony at the graveside this coming Sunday, 12th August 2018, when the world will finally be able to see the new gravestone for William Blake in all its glory. Many years in the planning, six months in the making, and now lying regally over the bones of Blake and others.

Apocalypse – Unveiling of the Gravestone from Finding Blake on Vimeo.

A short film of the events of the ceremony will appear exclusively on www.findingblake.org.uk soon after the event.

July 2018 – The cutting is complete

Finding Blake’s creator and film maker James Murray-White has been following the careful and painstaking process of creating the new gravestone for William Blake’s final resting place. He was with Lida Kindersley when she cut the final letters.

Praise for Finding Blake

“Excellent film showing the collaboration of craftmanship, the journey of Blake’s gravestone, and the connectedness that Blake makes us feel through his art. Very enjoyable and provocative.” — Annise Rogers, PhD English student researching William Blake’s ‘The Four Zoas’

“A curious thing happened to me after watching the ‘Finding Blake’ film – I found Blake. The next morning I went straight out and bought a book on Blake’s art. The documentary cleverly focuses on the process of making a new gravestone for Blake’s burial plot. The creative journey includes sourcing Portland stone from a deep mine, which is then prepared before it is handed over to the highly skilled craft people to carve the letters. Throughout the film scholars, priests, a rapper and therapist show us how Blake is deeply relevant in their lives and vocations. This is a film that chips away at surface concerns to reveal Blake’s soulful poetry, art and hymns. I not only found Blake, I found the Spirit of Albion.” — Mick Collins, writer, academic, occupational therapist, dream worker.

“Finding Blake is a website which stirs a genuine dialogue of vast scope around the many ways in which William Blake’s work keeps on touching the lives of a diversity of artists, thinkers and individuals.” – Adriana Díaz Enciso, author & translator

“Finding Blake is already a terrific site but it’s going to become an invaluable hub for Blakeans.” – Niall McDevitt, poet & psychogeographer

“William Blake and his visionary artistic output are very relevant today since we all need to re-connect with a deeper understanding of our imaginative power. I look forward to seeing the further developments of James’ research on this topic and to understand the current state of debate around Blake’s poetry. This is an immense field to investigate, which requires an inquisitive and sensitive eye, and I am sure that it will generate an inspiring film.” – Alessandro Rabottini, curator

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About This Site

Finding Blake is a space curated by a small team of creative collaborators and offered as a resource for all with an interest in William Blake. We can’t hope to pick up everything Blake-related, so please do use our Contact page to pass on any information, links and leads that you think we should add.

Site created & edited for Finding Blake by Mark Goldthorpe.
Site header image created for Finding Blake by Linda Richardson, using Kindersley Street font kindly supplied by Kindersley Cardozo Workshop.
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