24th April - 3rd May 2026
Rendition is a powerful collaboration between Yorkshire artist Fiona Cahill and Fréa Renewing Roots, bringing together art, lived experience and community storytelling to confront a history that remains deeply relevant today.
Created by Fiona Cahill, Rendition draws on her grandmother’s, mother’s and her own family experience to examine the deportation of unmarried Irish women and their babies, and the lasting trauma caused by secrecy, shame and institutional abuse.
The exhibition also features work created in collaboration with Fréa Renewing Roots, including oral history extracts, ceramics and poetry from members of Crann Sailí, the organisation’s arts for wellbeing group. These voices and creative works will be shared publicly in Yorkshire for the first time.
The exhibition uses weaving, paper making, oral history, ceramics and poetry to explore the hidden legacy of unmarried Irish women and their children who were sent from Britain to Ireland’s mother and baby institutions.
At the centre of the exhibition is a loom, symbolising both process and place, with weaving used as a meditative response to intergenerational trauma.
Opening times: 10am-4pm daily on the 1st floor of the 1912 Mill. FREE ENTRY.
ACCESS & CONTACT INFORMATION
The exhibition is on the 1st floor of the 1912 Mill, which is accessed via one flight of stairs or a wheelchair accessible lift.
Free parking, included limited accessible parking is available around the Mill site and on Farsley Town Street. There are accessible toilets on the ground and 2nd floor of the venue.
Assistance dogs are permitted.
This exhibition is being organised and managed by Fréa Renewing Roots and Fiona Cahill. Please contact their team at [email protected] if you have any questions about the exhibition or its accompanying workshops prior to your visit.
![What a weekend 😅 We would need about an hour to feature everyone who contributed to this year’s huge Threads programme, but here’s a small portion.
Thank you to every stallholder, workshop tutor, mill host and visitor for being part of the Festival, along with our speakers Michele Carragher, Jessie Cutts, Hannah Lamb and the 62 Group artists.
We’d like to give a special mention to @unfolded_pci student collective from @universityofleeds for their incredible contributions. Their site responsive performances and short films gave the Mills’ heritage and workers’ stories a presence throughout the weekend.
Stay tuned for the Me-made Competition entries!
[Reel is a series of short clips of stallholders waving, students performing, talks taking place and other activities across the site of the Mills during Threads.]](https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)