We are delighted to announce the launch of Dyevolution; a three‑year heritage project made possible by the award of £243,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will explore six rare fragile dye ledgers dating from 1888–1908. Packed with hand‑dyed wool samples and handwritten notes, these books capture a moment of radical change when traditional natural dyes gave way to early synthetic colours, transforming textile production forever.
The ledgers were discovered at Sunny Bank Mills during regeneration works in 2019 and over the course of the project, Dyevolution will study these ledgers in depth, using them as a starting point to explore how dyers experimented with materials, adapted processes and responded to new possibilities offered by synthetic dyes. The project will consider how this shift affected colour range, durability and efficiency – questions that remain relevant to textile production today.
Research into the chemistry of colour will be a key strand of the project. Dyevolution will examine how dyes bond with fibres, how colour changes through processing, and how factors such as light, washing and time affect textiles. This work will be informed by research and expertise working alongside the British Museum, helping to place the Sunny Bank Mills collections within a wider scientific and international context. Scientific ideas will be shared through clear interpretation and practical demonstration, linking laboratory research with historic industrial practice.
Alongside this research, Dyevolution will explore contemporary natural dyeing practices. A dye garden will be developed as a living research and learning space, where plants such as madder, weld and woad will be grown. The garden will allow colour to be explored from soil to fibre, connecting cultivation, seasonality and environment to textile production, while also prompting conversations about sustainability and environmental impact.
Hands‑on activity will play a central role. Across the three years, workshops will invite participants to experiment with a range of approaches to colour, from plant‑based dyeing to more experimental practices such as plant hammering, pigment making and surface colour application. These activities will encourage curiosity and experimentation, making ideas about colour, chemistry and heritage accessible through doing.
Dyevolution is rooted in participation. Through workshops, talks, volunteering opportunities and digital sharing, the project will bring together artists, researchers, volunteers and communities. It will invite people to look closely at colour—not just as decoration, but as the result of skill, science and experimentation.
By combining historic industrial records, contemporary making and scientific research, Dyevolution will offer new ways to understand how colour was created in the past, and how those processes can inform creative and sustainable practice today and in the future.
Get involved
Want to be part of Dyevolution? Join a workshop, volunteer with the project, or follow Sunny Bank Mills on our socials for dates, open calls and new discoveries as the ledgers are revealed.
With thanks
Dyevolution is made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from National Lottery players.
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General Museum & Archive