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| textile samples |
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| Fascination with labels |
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| cloth and fibre samples |
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| Something from Yorkshire |
Showing posts with label archive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label archive. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
My first meeting
Textiel Museum, Tilburg.
My first meeting was with Jantiene van Elk, who runs the library and graciously talked me through the collections and history of the museum and lab. The similarities to the textile regions of Yorkshire are great with many things that we could learn. An interesting point to note already is that what is often pivotal is having a visionary lead person who realises the importance of the provenance and history of the region. The museum was set up in 1958 as a way to capture the Woollen history of the town and region as the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce in the city saw its value. Initially it was housed in a former textile magnates villa, moving to its current location in 1986, which was the former mill of C Mommers & co one of the first mills to produce Buckskin in Tilburg.
My first meeting was with Jantiene van Elk, who runs the library and graciously talked me through the collections and history of the museum and lab. The similarities to the textile regions of Yorkshire are great with many things that we could learn. An interesting point to note already is that what is often pivotal is having a visionary lead person who realises the importance of the provenance and history of the region. The museum was set up in 1958 as a way to capture the Woollen history of the town and region as the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce in the city saw its value. Initially it was housed in a former textile magnates villa, moving to its current location in 1986, which was the former mill of C Mommers & co one of the first mills to produce Buckskin in Tilburg.
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| Library/Bibliotech 2nd Floor Textiel Museum |
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| Initial Research |
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| Leeds Mill workers top - Tilburg mill workers below |
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| A great mission statement to take back to UK |
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| Education drawers in the library |
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| Textile samples |
Day 1 Tilburg
Finding the Textiel Museum
One of my favourite parts of travel is meandering through a town or city and getting a sense of where I am and what that means. The wondering through streets like a flaneur following the traditions of Baudelaire and Benjamin. Aspiring to as really I had a destination to get to quickly.....
Walking for walking sake and not in a hurry to just get from one place to another, but to just experience/wondering in the urban cityscape, alley ways and hidden corners and nooks observing the immediate, and also to be seen.
One of my favourite parts of travel is meandering through a town or city and getting a sense of where I am and what that means. The wondering through streets like a flaneur following the traditions of Baudelaire and Benjamin. Aspiring to as really I had a destination to get to quickly.....
Walking for walking sake and not in a hurry to just get from one place to another, but to just experience/wondering in the urban cityscape, alley ways and hidden corners and nooks observing the immediate, and also to be seen.
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| mini library |
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| interesting glass and tiles |
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| Tilburg artisan cottages made me think of Hebden Bridge and the fustian making |
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| My destination Textiel Museum Tilburg |
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
The Journey Begins
Yorkshire to Nederlands via Scotland and Belgium
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| Edinburgh Airport |
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| So needed these at Brussels train station |
So you leave at 9am across the wilds of Scotland, levels of nerves and anticipation, as the flights was only booked on Sunday.... will this five weeks of travel and as WCMT states fun work out. Not that I am a worrier or anything....
Edinburgh Airport is a joy, wonderful staff, straightforward security and off we go.
Arrived safely in Brussels airport having gone through the itinerary with a fine tooth comb and aware that it would be a fast run to get to the train at the airport in time. This is where you just have to smile. Went through security asked where the train station was as could see no signs. Sorry madam we have no train station that is at the other Brussels Airport.....
Slight panic, deep breathing, bus ticket purchased and train timetables checked. May get to Tilburg tonight!! Hence the chips at Brussels train station, a small celebration for not totally panicking.
Seriously brilliant trains and all on time. I love watching the country side shift and change on the train definitely my favourite way to travel especially when in a coach like olden days train travel...
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| Paul Smith esque interiors in silent coach Brussels to Roosendahl |
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| Silent Coach - lovely graphics |
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| Are we there yet? |
Arrived on Tilburg after 10pm so not so harrowing. Lots of lovely kind people to direct and smile with. Looking forward to the museum adventure tomorrow.
Monday, 4 July 2016
My Context
Why undertake the Fellowship?
I began making hats in 2000 when I joined the HNC millinery course at Leeds College of Art & Design. I had always made and was at the time teaching textiles within Further Education, so the course was perfect for professional development. I fell in love with making three dimensional objects. Textiles suddenly made sense. So began my voyage of discovery and my change of direction. I continued to study undertaking the more skills based City & Guilds Millinery as well. My aim to look at ways to develop a more holistic mode of study to include technical skills, design and context of practice.
In 2004 I began teaching millinery as a HNC at Leeds and for City & Guilds in Huddersfield. I was fortunate to work with a range of talented people who were inspired and wanted to develop millinery further as businesses and teaching opportunities. Over the ten years that I taught millinery many changes happened in craft and adult education which impacted negatively on ways to develop future milliners. The qualification courses I ran closed and the only way to share skills was through private short courses.
Hence my wish to undertake the fellowship and look at other ways to create sustainable and effective artisan education and skill sharing. I have been fortunate to work with Hat Works, the hat museum in Stockport as a voluntary curator, researcher since 2010 and this has also informed my questions as the cultural and museum sectors have been affected by political shifts. How can these areas collaborate to mutually benefit each other and create new paths for future working relationships. As I work in Higher Education I feel that this also has a role in collaborative futures.
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| Red Felt piece inspired by Scottish Clearings, S K Bainbridge 2009 In the Collection of Stockport Museums and Galleries, Stockport. UK. |
In 2004 I began teaching millinery as a HNC at Leeds and for City & Guilds in Huddersfield. I was fortunate to work with a range of talented people who were inspired and wanted to develop millinery further as businesses and teaching opportunities. Over the ten years that I taught millinery many changes happened in craft and adult education which impacted negatively on ways to develop future milliners. The qualification courses I ran closed and the only way to share skills was through private short courses.
Hence my wish to undertake the fellowship and look at other ways to create sustainable and effective artisan education and skill sharing. I have been fortunate to work with Hat Works, the hat museum in Stockport as a voluntary curator, researcher since 2010 and this has also informed my questions as the cultural and museum sectors have been affected by political shifts. How can these areas collaborate to mutually benefit each other and create new paths for future working relationships. As I work in Higher Education I feel that this also has a role in collaborative futures.
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| Archive Hat Works |
Introductions
I have been fortunate to have been awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. My Fellowship is within The Creative Industries field and aims to look at best practice across Western Europe of supporting artisan makers through museums, collaborative practice, community engagement and innovative ways of thinking. As an educator and occasional milliner my main theme will be to address this within millinery and ways that can be shared within the U.K. to enable this niche area to survive and thrive.
The image from the train to Tilburg, Nederlands, seems a perfect symbol for the purpose of the WCMT Fellowships - to have conversations, to share, to listen, to learn.
My planning has been slightly erratic. i am someone who always considers that there are 36 hours in a day and that I need little sleep. The reality is that i need at least 8 hours and there are only 24 hours. So this has been my first learning before I began. It's alright to ask for help and you need lots of time to plan. Working 50+ hour weeks isn't always conducive to this so another observation to take forward before i even began my travels.
So order and organisation to assist me getting the most from this truly amazing opportunity.
My planning has been slightly erratic. i am someone who always considers that there are 36 hours in a day and that I need little sleep. The reality is that i need at least 8 hours and there are only 24 hours. So this has been my first learning before I began. It's alright to ask for help and you need lots of time to plan. Working 50+ hour weeks isn't always conducive to this so another observation to take forward before i even began my travels.
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| Jacquard card punch at Textiel Museum Tilburg, Nederlands |
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