The Giants Project

The success of the 'Giants' lies in their ability to embody the essential characteristics and traits of the places they represent. The Giants project focused on community engagement, gathering insights from local residents about their lives and communities. This local knowledge was instrumental in shaping the identity of each town's Giant.

Strange Cargo collaborated with Géant builders from Northern France and Belgium, who shared their centuries-old construction techniques. This partnership enabled us to create ten Giants in communities across the UK. Each Giant captures the unique essence and spirit of its hometown and is proudly showcased at festivals throughout the UK and Europe.

In 2001, a team of Strange Cargo artists travelled to Europe to delve into the ancient Géant tradition. Our goal was to connect with local Géants, engage with the associations that care for them, and learn from the artists who craft these remarkable figures. We had the opportunity to meet various Géants and their enthusiastic caretakers and were warmly welcomed at the workshop of Stéphane de Laurence and his skilled team in Loos, France. There, we observed the creation of a new Géant to replace a 200-year-old original that was retiring to a museum.

We meticulously studied and documented the traditional techniques used to make these figures, including basketry, clay moulding, carpentry, and papier-mâché. We also examined the construction of Big Heads, the grotesque characters that traditionally accompany the Géants. These techniques were then adapted and reinterpreted to blend with our contemporary skills in the UK.

Since then, Strange Cargo has crafted and introduced ten Giants across the UK, from the small village of Averley in Thurrock to the 2008 Capital of Culture City of Liverpool. Each Giant has successfully captured the spirit and character of its local community and is celebrated at social gatherings and festivals.

The UK Giants have become well-recognised within the international Giant community, joining a global family of thousands of Giants. Their success is rooted in their ability to reflect the core qualities of their hometowns in a proud and larger-than-life manner.