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Handmade in Manchester : Arty Places #9 2012
Exhibition: Jennifer Collier
During a recent stay in Manchester
(England),
I visited some “arty places. I was pleasantly surprised to find a small exhibit
of the amazing work of textile artist, Jennifer Collier in the Museum of Science and Industry. Jennifer, who worked
at the museum for two years under the Setting Up Scheme run by the Arts Council
England North West, describes her technique “I create innovative textiles from
natural and found materials such as leaves, petals fruit and tea bags …. The
main technique I have developed is the fusing of fruit between layers of organza.
This can be done with apples, strawberries, figs, pears, kiwis and cherry
tomatoes.”
Of course there were other really interesting and engaging
displays at this museum, including having your photo taken and becoming part of
the electronic installation.
Museum of Science and Industry
The Manchester Craft and Design Centre, in the Victorian
market buildings, was such a vibrant creative place and its architecture of
course was part of the charm. Each artist was housed in a working studio/shopfront - there was such a gentle energy about this place.
Manchester Craft and Design Centre
Here is a video which shows more of the work at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre ...
A visit to the People’s History Museum is not only a wonderful
social history lesson and appreciation of the contribution of working men and
women and their families, but it has an amazing collection of handmade and handpainted trade union and working associations' banners.
women's movement banner
close up of banner above
close up of embroidery on a children's association banner
The museum has now established a conservation studio, in an effort to preserve these colourful, banners . Formerly a hydraulic pumping station, the museum tell the story of the history of democracy in Britain and about ordinary people’s lives at home, work and leisure over the last 200 years. It was really interesting
to learn more about the fight for the women’s voting rights, especially from an ordinary housewife's 's viewpoint. Hannah Mitchell’s
kitchen is reproduced in the museum, with genuine pieces belonging to her.
In Hannah Mitchell's kitchen
She belonged
to the Women’s Social and Political Union and was arrested on one of her
protests in London,
but her fine was paid promptly by her husband so she could return home to look
after the family. Sustained by the belief in the cause for women, Hannah said “No
cause can be won between dinner and tea and most of us who are married have to
work with one hand tied behind us, so to speak”.
..... I feel very fortunate to live in times and in a country when creative activities are a choice not a chore and freedom of speech is a "given" ....
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There are many songs about fruit cakes - not all of them referring to the Christmas cake we know and love.It is really surprising to learn via Google that there are 89 listed songs with references to Christmas cake or fruit cake - not all of them complimentary. Probably one of the most famous folk songs about Christmas cake is Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake (a favourite sung by The Irish Rovers). This first recorded comical Christmas song was written by C Frank Horn in 1883 in Pennsylania, as a variation of an Irish folk song, 'Miss Mulligan's Christmas Cake' . The chorus might give you the hint that Miss Fogarty's cake was not for the faint hearted or those who suffered from a weak stomach. Chorus : There were plums and prunes and cherries, There were citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too There was nutmeg, cloves and berries And a crust that was nailed on with glue There were caraway seeds in abundance Such that...
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This year, I fell into the sentimental trap of making some penguin softies for Christmas .... and I am not the only one - penguins seem to be everywhere at the moment dressed in Christmassy costumes, with trees, bells, and all kinds of Christmas paraphernalia. Should penguins really be associated with Christmas? Probably not and not as Santa's helpers as they often depicted. Penguins inhabit the Antarctic region in the South Pole, while Santa Claus it has been established has his home in the North Pole. The theory is that somehow penguins are associated with snow, then Winter, then Christmas, but what about us in the southern hemisphere. Perhaps they are just cute? Whatever the reason, when were penguins first seen as part of the Christmas scene ? While there is no verifiable answer, it would seem that Monty the Penguin in the John Lewis Christmas advertisement in 2014 popularised the trend. (If you are not famil...
During a recent stay in 
You had a truly enlightening day. Blessings!
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