Conceived in 2019 by Post Workers Theatre, Autohoodening is a collective inquiry that combines talks and debate on folk history and contemporary work issues, with scripts, songs, costume and live performance. 

PWT worked with students from the Department of Design at Goldsmiths University, to produce a collectively written response to the mid-winter custom of Hoodening, performed in East Kent for over 200 years. Originally, the Hoodeners were agricultural labourers, working in ploughing teams, who performed a carnivalesque satire of their working realites, visiting different locations in the local community during the fallow season of winter. 

Autohoodening reimagines this custom for the age of automation, updating its design, delivery and social purpose. How might the singing, dancing and physical humour parody and draw attention to the horrifying working conditions hidden behind consumer-facing infrastructure and the ease of ‘one-click’ delivery? 

Talks and discussion began a week of collective reworking, with presentations from Ben Jones, member of the St Nicholas at Wade Hoodeners, Folk Historian George Frampton and journalist and writer James Bloodworth based on his experience of working in Amazon's Rugeley Fulfilment Centre. 

Autohoodening is now being developed in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November 2020 and includes collaborations with Infinite Opera and artist and Hoodener, James Frost.

We would like to thank Doc Rowe for his ongoing support.