Weaving Voices – Innovation and Adaptation in the Textile Industry

This talk explores a box of yarn and fabric samples from the Sunny Bank Mills archive dating between 1942-1945 which include examples of the mill experimenting with wool fibre blends, incorporating man- made fibres which were ground- breaking at the time.

The textile industry has always had to adapt and react to changes in the social, economic and environmental landscape, balancing resource availability, financial viability and consumer needs. Such constraints have propelled textile innovations in the past, such as the development and commercialisation of synthetic and manufactured fibres in the early 1900s, and are now fuelling the drive for a more sustainable textile industry.

Through the story of these archive samples, this session will explore the wider societal and cultural context that drove these innovations, and the complexities of putting these changes into practice. It will go on to investigate how the textile industry is adapting today, in particular to meet urgent demands for more sustainable technologies, and explore emerging research into the fibres and yarns that we may see more of in the years to come.

This is a hands on informal talk with a limited number of attendees, so you will be given plenty of chance to explore and ask questions about Alison’s research an d see the yarn and fabric samples up close! The format will be a 1hr talk by Alison followed by the opportunity to visit the rest of the Archive yourself as part of the event.

We strive to be as accessible and inclusive as possible, and thanks to National Lottery Heritage Funding, not only are all tickets subsidised, but also, this event will be BSL interpreted as well as being able to offer a limited number of free Accessibility & Inclusivity tickets to Deaf and disabled customers, and also to students.

About Alison

Alison is a PhD researcher from the University of Leeds, studying sustainable, low- energy dyeing technologies for wool. She has been a volunteer at the Sunny Bank Mills textile archive since August 2020.

Accessibility

The venue of the talk (the Bobbin Room & Archive) has flat access into the building, and a short ramp in one area. The building also has accessible toilet facilities. Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Funding, this talk will be BSL interpreted.

If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility, please email [email protected].

Free parking available on site.

Talk terms and booking conditions

Event bookings can be cancelled and refunded up until 7 days before the scheduled start date. Please note that Eventbrite’s booking fee is non-refundable.

If we need to cancel this event for any reason your ticket will be fully refunded.