Celestial Cluster is a narrative exchange work. Participants and I make small lights in order to make a 'Milky Way'. As we do so we exchange stories about Tanabata, separation, mothers and daughters. This piece explores: memory, love, loss, reunion, fragility of human relationships.

First Meeting
November 2013. I met with Roy Grant co-ordinator of the Age Alive over 50s group based in Newport. I talked through the project and together we made some LED stickies and shared stories. He agreed that I could come and meet the group and talk through the project with them.

We discussed the project and what I wanted to do and make with the group. I talked through the Tanabata* story and how this relates to my personal narrative. This stimulated some exchange of similar stories from the group. The ladies are from different ethnic groups, the common denominator of the group is that everyone is originally from somewhere other than Newport. We met on the day of Nelson Mandela's death and the some of the ladies exchanged their stories of meeting him. So loss and separation resonated with this group, particularly on that day. At the end of the meeting the group voted to make the 'Celestial Cluster' at a future meeting.

The taste of the piece was determined by the ladies at this meeting as they cheekily insisted on having Milky Way chocolate bars to fuel making the work.

Third Meeting
The members of the group were invited to make simple LED lights that they attached to a screen (the cosmos). We were collectively making an approximation of the Milky Way.

The making of the work involved much collaboration within the group. Could you pass the scissors... could I have that tape... can you put the tape on for me... can you pin this light to the screen. A couple of ladies were new to the group and it was pointed out to me afterwards that they had felt part of the group just because we were making together.

At the end of the session, one of the ladies asked if the 'Celestial Cluster' represented the group. Did the area of lights placed closely together represent the long standing members of the group? Did the other lights represent everyone else?

After the session I took the 'Milky Way' back to my studio and photographed it. I had the 'Celestial Cluster' image made into a large scale photograph.

Fourth Meeting
I took the 'Celestial Cluster 01: Age Alive Wednesday Ladies, Newport' image back to the group. This stimulated conversation about how and when we made it and we revisited some of the stories told in earlier sessions. I gave each lady a small print of the image. The big version now belongs to the group to display in the HQ of Age Alive.

*Tanabata

The Tanabata story (outlined below) is celebrated on the 7th of July in Japan. It is considered a lucky day when wishes can be granted. It is also my daughter’s birthday. On her 11th birthday we found ourselves separated by the river Thames due to the (what now is known as) 7/7 bombings. Below is the version of the story I shared with the children that I made 'Celestial Cluster 02' with.

Tanabata is story of Tentei, the king of the sky and Orihime his daughter who is very good at weaving cloth. The third character is Hikoboshi a cow herder.

Orihime was the daughter of Tentei, the king of the sky, and she wove the most beautiful cloth by the banks of the heavenly river. We call the heavenly river – the Milky Way. Tentei adored his daughter and the cloth she wove and she too adored her father so she worked very hard everyday weaving it.

However Orihime was very lonely. She was always so busy weaving and had no time to meet someone and fall in love.

Tentei noticed his daughter’s sadness and was concerned for her. So he arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi a cow herder who lived and worked on the other side of the Milky Way.

When Orihime and Hikoboshi met they feel in love at first sight and got married soon afterwards. They wanted to spend all their time together. So Orihime stopped weaving and Hikoboshi stopped looking after the cows.

Tentei was angered at their behaviour. He was disappointed that Orihime his lovely daughter had gone lazy. He was disappointed that Hikoboshi let his cows wander all over the heavens. So he separated the couple. Sending them to the opposite sides of the Milky Way.

Orihime was heartbroken, her true love was gone and she spent all of her time crying and still did no work. Hikoboshi also did not work as he too was heartbroken and missing his wife.

Tentei saw how heart broken his daughter was and felt sorry. He decided that he would allow Orihime and Hikoboshi to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, but on the condition they continued and completed their work the rest of the year. They agreed and went back to weaving and looking after cows.

When the 7th Of July came along, Orihime and Hikoboshi went to meet each other. They smiled and waved as they saw each other on the opposite sides of the Milky Way because they would soon be together again.

But then they became sad, because they realised that there was no bridge for them to cross and meet each other. Orihime and Hikoboshi were disappointed and thought that they would never meet up. Out of nowhere a flock of magpies flew up to Orihime and promised to make a bridge across the Milky Way with their wings. They did this and Orihime and Hikoboshi were finally reunited.

So every year on the 7th of July, Orihime and Hikoboshi stand on either side of the Milky Way and wait for the magpies to make a bridge so that their wish to be together can come true.