‘Weaving Manchester’ workshop at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
November 2024
I was extremely lucky in August 2024 to have received my first grant to produce work, kindly given to me by the extra- curricular team at my University.
The brief was to run a community project, themed around the past 200 years in Manchester (as my University was celebrating its Bicentenary). I worked with four different community groups: Glossop Arts Project (who I have worked with before), ‘Make Space’ at Platt Hall, students at Stockport School and members of Manchester’s community at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Each group produced woven samples and pieces which would be displayed in a pop-up exhibition.
Each participant chose photos from around Greater Manchester which they felt were significant (these included China Town, RHS Bridgewater, The Royal Exchange Theatre, Victoria Baths and Fletcher Moss Gardens to name a few). Creating yarn wraps and experimenting with different yarns and weaving techniques allowed them to make some beautiful colourful woven samples to be turned into a long wall hanging to be put on display.
I will be creating a post about the full display with the finished result!
I was really excited to do a workshop at Elizabeth Gaskell’s house, as the historical and cultural significance of Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing in Manchester as a city is immense, particularly in relation to the textiles industry, as she one of her most famous novels, North and South explores many of the complicated themes and viewpoints regarding the textiles industry in the North of England.
Image taken by Lilly Beards of her work inspired by Stretford Town Hall
