The Gawthorpe Textiles Collection is on the move to ensure the legacy left by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth MBE lives on for future generations. A collection of over 30,000 textile and craft items that has been housed at Gawthorpe Hall for more than half a century has been carefully relocated to Northlight in Brierfield. The charity will retain its public gallery space within the hall, which is undergoing a redisplay as part of the investment in the collection’s future, so visitors can continue to enjoy the internationally renowned collection of global textiles in Padiham. The collection’s new home is a redeveloped cotton mill which has stunning historical features of its own as well as a textile heritage. Northlight offers the space and flexibility to store and continue to grow the collection, as well as providing a modern, fit-for-purpose workshop space to increase public access to this important educational collection. Linda Drury, Director of Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, said: “When I joined the charity last year the trustees were already considering moving the collection from the hall as moisture and damp building up in the storage area was starting to impact on some items within it. “Northlight offers us a more practical space and we are looking forward to welcoming people through our doors once the unboxing process has been done! “Moving a collection of such enormity and value has taken a lot of logistical planning and we are very grateful to all of our wonderful staff and volunteers who have played their part in making it happen.” Lord Shuttleworth, Chairman of Trustees and Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth’s great nephew, explained: “Rachel wanted to use creativity and craft for the good of the community as she believed it was the key to unlock health, social and economic prospects for those most in need. “Her dedication led her to open her home in Gawthorpe Hall to the public and she campaigned tirelessly to raise the funds needed to secure its future during her lifetime. “While Rachel’s work is synonymous to Gawthorpe Hall, it felt like the right time to move the collection to ensure its longevity for generations to come. "Our vision as a charity remains to develop a centre of excellence for textile learning based around the collection and this move is a significant step in achieving that. “We cannot thank the team enough for working tirelessly to make this happen and we look forward to a bright future at Northlight.” Recent funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Key Fund’s Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund have helped support the move.

A popular item from the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection was the inspiration for a stunning piece of art adorning a Padiham gable wall. Artist Chris Butcher transformed the blank canvas wall on Church Street, into a mural called ‘Up the Hill’, representing the town’s industrial heritage as a textile producer. The artwork features two tram cars, with passengers on board and surrounding the trams are examples of textile work inspired by our very own Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, on display at the nearby Gawthorpe Hall. So, what do we know about the item on which Chris based his artwork? The peacock panel was embroidered by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth as a present for her parents, Ughtred and Blanche, for their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1921. She chose cloth of gold for the background fabric and had it framed in an ornate gilt frame made by the Medici Society. This panel of embroidery is worked in a technique known as laid work where long stitches are laid down first to fill in the shapes and then secured with smaller couching stitches. The design of a vase, exotic flowers and a pair of peacocks was sketched out by Rachel’s cousin Valerie, Lady North and is taken from one of the carved and pierced parapets up in the galleries of St Mark’s Cathedral, Venice. Rachel worked on this piece while she was recovering from typhoid fever and perhaps this is why she chose the laid work technique as it allows large areas to be covered relatively quickly. The embroidery uses many colours of silk floss thread that Rachel arranged carefully to create beautiful gradients and is further embellished with gold metal threads and iridescent beetle wings on the peacocks’ tails. Linda Drury, director of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, said: “The piece is on permanent display in Gawthorpe Hall and is one of the most iconic pieces in the collection, so it’s really fitting that this was the piece chosen to be represented in the mural. "It also has a strong link to the Shuttleworth family, who were so instrumental in supporting the communities of Padiham and Burnley. “The peacock as a symbol of resurrection is also quite fitting with the regeneration of the high street and we are so happy that Chris chose this for his eye-catching mural.” The mural was brought to life with the help of the Padiham Gable Art Project Steering Group including local businesses and groups, Mid Pennine Arts, Padiham Archives and Gawthorpe Hall. It forms part of the Gable Arts Project, which aims to bring the vibrant history of Padiham to life as part of the wider £1.4million Townscape Heritage scheme funded by the National Lottery Fund. The Gable Ends Project was supported by Burnley Council, Padiham Town Council, local businesses and residents.

An 18-month project to modernise and digitise the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection has begun. The “Cherish the Past, Create for the Future’ project has been made possible through National Lottery Heritage Fund and lays the foundations for improving both physical and virtual access to the collection. New director of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, Linda Drury, said: “We are extremely grateful to have received this funding, which goes a long way in helping us to reach more audiences and bring the collection up-to-speed in a digital world.” The funding has already enabled the employment of two new members of staff; one to lead a programme of outreach across East Lancashire and a second to undertake a comprehensive review and digitisation of the Collection. Bev Lamey, outreach programme leader, said: “We have already started a 10-week programme with the very talented local female artist Nazia Sultana in collaboration with The DEEN Centre, a faith-based organisation for women and children. “This unique project focuses on activities to encourage story-telling and narrative building, where participants will learn about the shared heritage of textiles that spans global cultures. “The project aim is to help women learn creative practices such textile surface designing, fabric manipulation techniques and we have already received positive feedback from those taking part. As Collections Officer, Rachel Terry’s job is to photograph, categorise and digitise some 30,000 items within the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. She said: “I previously worked for the collection as curator, so am familiar with many of the popular items within the collection. But there are a whole host of other gems hidden away in boxes and I have the pleasure of unveiling these items and ensuring they are catalogued within the collection. “I couldn’t do this without the help of our valuable volunteers.” There is also funding within the project to modernise the textile displays at Gawthorpe Hall by introducing new perspectives and stories and bringing them to life with audio and film. ‘Cherish the Past, Adorn the Present, Create for the Future’ was a principle that Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth developed from the teachings of architect and designer William R Lethaby. Linda added: “The ethos of using heritage to create for the future is something that we still hold dear at the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, using our fabulous collection as a means of creating opportunities to learn and to inspire creativity. “Our vision remains to develop a centre of excellence for textile learning based around the collection and this project will be a significant step in building towards that. “We look forward to the next exciting chapter for the Collection.”

The Lancashire Textile Treasures programme has been granted a six-month extension and will now finish at the end of October. Gawthorpe Textiles Collection was one of several successful organisations awarded funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund Digital Skills for Heritage, to raise digital skills and confidence across the UK heritage sector. Lancashire’s Textile Treasures: Connecting Communities; Curating Heritage was a two-year collaborative project between the Textiles Collection, University of Central Lancashire, and Super Slow Way. New director for the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, Linda Drury, said: “While this funding came in long before my time, I am delighted that I will now get to carry out work on this project due to its extension. “The partnership project was to use heritage textiles as a catalyst for engaging and upskilling community members to become digital community curators, building connections, sharing knowledge and skills. “Through community events and engagement, we were able to explore the cultural significance of textiles, learning from participants, creating connections, and drawing out personal, cultural, social and heritage-based stories. “We also worked with other heritage venues, archives, and commercial organisations within the region and beyond to digitally map textile heritage assets. “The extension enables us to fully collate the results of this programme and celebrate its many successes.”

Gawthorpe Textiles Collection has a new director at the helm and she has an impressive portfolio of charity experience. Linda Drury is a highly experienced charity, finance and project manager who has held senior positions with both regional and national charities. She became aware of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection whilst studying for a City and Guilds in embroidery and when the position for director was announced, she decided to apply. Linda said: “I was immediately drawn to the history of the collection and was full of admiration for Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth’s passion to preserve traditional craft skills and to share knowledge, skills and expertise across cultures. “I was delighted to hear that I had been accepted for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Now, settled into the role, I am finding out new things about the collection every single day and it is truly fascinating. “There are some 30,000 items within the collection from around the world and each piece plays an important role in unpicking the heritage of embroidery and textiles. Many are intricate pieces created by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth herself or collected as part of her avid learning journey. “It really is a treasure trove of textile memorabilia and I am proud to be able to join the team in sharing these items with public as she would have wished. “We have recently started work on a new, 18-month project called ‘Cherish the Past, Create for the Future’. “Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this project will build on Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth’s vision and help us to promote the collection as a centre of excellence for textile-based learning. Lord Charles Shuttleworth, Chairman of Trustees and the great nephew of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, said of Linda’s appointment: “We are delighted to welcome Linda as director of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. “She brings a wealth of experience to the collection and I speak for all fellow trustees when I wish her every success in her new role.” Prior to joining the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, Linda was Head of Operations with a national charity involved in refugee resettlement. Before this, she worked with two federated charities to support their members in developing their strategic plans, diversifying their income, and growing their organisations. Linda has a Business Degree, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, and an MBA. She has also worked in community learning and is an experienced trainer. Linda replaces former director Charlotte Steels, who is now Cultural Strategy Manager for Burnley but pleased to be continuing to work with the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection as a trustee.

New opportunities to work with GTC.

Thanks to National Lottery Players GTC is embarking on a new 18 month project to redisplay and improve access to the Collection.

FREE online talks programme exploring ethical and sustainable textile practice.

14-18 year olds - take part in the 2022 Re: Fashion Challenge in Blackburn this August