The Black Mary Project, curated by Gould, launches a day of community celebration, art, and ritual in London. The unveiling of a new sculpture of the forgotten 17th-century Black healer by acclaimed stone carver Marcia Bennett-Male, will kick start the day.
Listen on BBC Radio London – The Black Mary Project
On Saturday 28 June 2025, multidisciplinary artist Gaylene Gould will open a new public artwork honouring the history of London’s healing wells and the legend of 17th-century Black woman well keeper, Mary Woolaston. Acclaimed stone carver Marcia Bennett-Male’s sensitive sculpture, which pays tribute to the story of the Black female figure, will be unveiled in Calthorpe Community Gardens – marking the opening of the Mary Woolaston public artwork.
The unveiling also marks the opening of Black Mary’s Pleasure Garden Festival – a vibrant day dedicated to reviving the history of the wells and the legend of Mary Woolaston, curated by Gould. Inspired by the story of the Black woman well keeper who kept a healing well in her local Kings Cross area, the festival highlights the historic Pleasure Gardens that grew up around the old healing wells, featuring rituals, performances, and workshops. The day will see performances from artists including Seyi Adelekun, Valeria Ebuwa, Leo Robinson, and Gary Stewart.
Led by multi-disciplinary artist Gaylene Gould, in collaboration with members of the Calthorpe Community Gardens and Black Mary Project producer Zaynab Bunsie, this community-based project draws on the story of Mary and the global healing stories of London’s wells: designed to revive the spirit of the healing well for London through ritual, immersive artistic experiences, and celebratory connection– amplifying the ways wellness is as relevant to 21st-century Londoners as it was to their 17th-century counterparts.
As well as the permanent memorial to Mary, the festival will also feature immersive artwork from Gaylene Gould, and, from Autumn 2025, the ‘Black’ Mary Woolaston Healing Tour will continue to share learning about Mary and the history of the King’s Cross healing wells.
Black Mary Project Lead Gaylene Gould says, “Public healing spaces, like the well Mary is said to have kept at Kings Cross, are needed now more than ever. These spaces of public healing are crucial sites of community, bringing us together and encouraging connection in an age of increasing disconnection and loneliness. So, we asked ourselves: what would a healing well look like today – one that’s led by global majority women like Mary? Black Mary’s Pleasure Garden Festival, and the outcomes connected to it, are our answer to this question, creating a space for public healing in 21st-century London inspired by the wisdom of 17th-century healing traditions.”
Black Mary Project Producer, Zaynab Bunsie, says, “The aim of this artwork and day of celebration is to draw attention to the vital and forgotten history of London’s healing wells, and the valuable role working class Black women have played in the well-being of London throughout history. Unseen community care spaces, like the forgotten history of London’s historic healing wells, are too often unused and uncared for. We want to highlight the ways community spaces stitch us together, and can be restorative sites of healing for Londoners today.”
Councillor Sabrina Francis, Camden Council, says, “We are really proud to support The Black Mary Project so carefully curated by artist Gaylene Gould and producer Zaynab Bunsie. This isn’t just a celebration of the past – it’s also about engaging with young minds to shape our future too. And to be unveiling a statue celebrating a Black woman by the UK’s only Black female stonemason here in Camden is an absolute honour. I encourage everyone to come along, learn something new, and celebrate the rich, diverse heritage that makes Camden such a special place.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “Our capital’s diversity is our greatest strength and we must honour and remember all those who have made London the extraordinary city it is. Huge congratulations to curator Gaylene Gould and the whole team for this powerful and thoughtful tribute to Mary Woolaston, sharing her story with generations to come and helping us build a fairer London for everyone.”
Opening a day before the memorial and festival, on 27 June, the Black Mary Project installation will be included in the Wellcome Collection’s major exhibition on the theme of water, Thirst: In Search of Freshwater. The Black Mary Project has been funded by the Mayor of London’s Untold Story fund, part of his Diversity in the Public Realm programme, Arts Council England, Camden Council, and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and supported by Black Womxn In Theatre.