Welcome back to the Cloth Cultures podcast series. Join Amber Butchart as she explores the Lancashire Textile Gallery, a new online resource that brings together objects and artefacts held by museums, archives and manufacturers from across the county. Throughout this series, Amber will be speaking to curators, artists, enthusiasts and researchers about everything from the exquisitely detailed medieval embroidery known as Opus Anglicanum, to costumes worn by visitors to Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the 1930’s.
Season 2 Ep 1 – To kick us off, Amber heads straight to the heart of Lancashire’s textile heritage. In this episode Amber is joined by Phillip Butler and Heather Davies from Lancashire County Museum Service, and Madhu Mani, one of the newly commissioned artists for the Lancashire Textile Gallery.
Season 2 Ep 2: In this episode, Amber will be delving into Opus Anglicanum, a form of English medieval embroidery that was prized around the world for its skill and artistry. Amber will be joined by Alison Cooper and Margery Dunderdale from Towneley Hall, to talk about how this historic house in Burnley, Lancashire has a set of remarkable Medieval vestments in their collection. Later in this episode we will also hear from researcher Esther Rollison who is working on a commission for the Lancashire Textile Gallery.
Season 2 Ep 3 : In this episode, we find ourselves in Blackpool as Amber speaks to Caroline Hall from Showtown, Blackpool’s new museum of fun and entertainment about seaside modernism and the intriguingly named Yama Yama suits. Amber will also be exploring how contemporary Blackpool based artist Garth Grartrix is responding to the town’s entertainment heritage.
Season 2 Ep 4: In this episode, Amber heads to Blackburn to speak to museum curator Caroline Wilkinson about a collection of textile swatches and designs by a now closed local company called Birtwistle and Oddie. Amber is also joined by Richard Croasdale who shares some of his recollections as a loom fitter in the 1950’s and 60’s, and artist Joseph Ayavoro to talk about his cross cultural textile project.
Season 2 Ep 5: In this episode, Amber heads to Chorley to talk to Amy Durnaley and Jane Warburton-Ball from Astley Hall, and conservator Alison Lister to find out about their set of huge mid 17th century tapestries. Later in this episode Amber also speaks to tapestry artist Aruna Reddy to learn more about the contemporary art of tapestry weaving.
Season 2 Ep 6: In the final episode of this series, Amber is at The Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston, Lancashire, talking to curator Caroline Alexander and costume collection champions Pat, Zilfa and Eileen about their well known collection of Horrockses Fashions, and lesser know but brilliant fuzzy felt fashions of Mabel Haythorn.