Weaving Stories

Overview

The idea for the Weaving Stories project initially arose from a meeting with a man whose father had come over from India in the 1950’s to work in the cotton industry in Lancashire. This developed into the recording of people’s stories relating to textiles, the clothes we wear and the impact of these on the environment and people involved.

In researching our relationships with textiles over time and focusing on Lancashire and the cotton industry, what stood out were the threads running through. These threads showed the dynamics of human beings with regard to: connection with the natural world; as consumers of textiles/clothing; as producers; as makers. Over time and in particular with Industrialisation and Capitalism, the clothing industry has been driven by using and exploiting human lives as labour and causing toxic damage to the environment. All in the pursuit of profit.

The stories so far, make comment on the above, but also reveal how some people have and continue to live and work with textiles in a more connected, holistic and regenerative way which works more in harmony with those involved in producing and making our textiles and clothes and our environment.

The stories have been collected through discussion and video recording, with many thanks to Gina Frausin who made and edited the videos. 

Victoria Frausin

Victoria talks of her concerns about the clothing industry and its toxic, damaging impact on our environment. She highlights how “the clothes industry, fuelled by oil is a huge contributor to the social and environmental crisis driving climate change and mass extinction…. Lancaster alone wastes over 1million kg of clothes every year…..”. Victoria invites us “to review mainstream solutions, to create a better world…”

Maria Benjamin

Maria talks about her journey from moving to live in Cumbria, with her partner, John, on his family’s 6th generation farm nearly 10 years ago, to starting to put roots down, find a sense of place and connection. A few years ago, she saw an opportunity to promote and develop her interest and belief in the value of wool, which at the time was going to waste locally.

She set up their business, ‘Lake District Tweed – SUSTAINABLY HEFTED CLOTH’. Maria’s enthusiasm for promoting better utilisation of wool, whilst incorporating her strong sense of locality, people, culture, place, and regenerative ways of working is infectious! “The circle of wool – soil to soil”.

Of the tweed business and marketing she says – “…..the story is so strong, it promotes itself”.

Carol Ostermeyer

Carol tells about growing up with a strong sense of the value of clothes. Her mother was a very resourceful woman who made their clothes and looked after and mended them when necessary, thus prolonging their life. She has had a strong sense of these values throughout her life and an appreciation for good fabrics and also the aesthetics, beauty of clothes. She tells of upcycling for other clothing or household uses when no longer fit for purpose. Carol is creative and resourceful with her clothes – “from wearing as clothes to rag rugs – Memory Rugs’.

“I have lived my life with the thought in the back of my mind always, that everything, everything can be used”.

Professor Alan Rice

The legacy of Lancaster’s connection to slavery is well documented, and moreso over the past few years through the research undertaken by Lancaster Black History Group. Professor Alan Rice takes us to a well known Lancaster landmark, Williamson’s Park, and tells us about one aspect of the cotton industry and it’s connection to slavery – The Cotton Famine of the 1860’s. Lancashire’s dependence on slave produced cotton was affected by the American Civil War, leading to mass starvation and poverty here.