By Leah Conway –
For WOVEN in Kirklees‘ next project, INTERWOVEN, they are appealing to the public to share their stories, anecdotes and memories of the local textile industry from the present and the past.
INTERWOVEN is a Kirklees Council funded project part of the wider WOVEN textile festival. It is a community focused project which aims to bring communities together to celebrate the shared experiences and history of the textiles industry across Kirklees.
The first WOVEN festival took place in June 2019 with the ‘Woven Into Song’ event. The event saw a boliyan and choir performance recounting stories of textile industry immigration. It covered the rich textile history from the industrial revolution to the present day.
In 2021 the WOVEN festival continued, which explored the unique soundscape of Kirklees. It explored its mill heritage and its present with a mixture of machinery, work, storytelling, brass music and boliyan.
INTERWOVEN
For 2022, INTERWOVEN will produce a temporary exhibition and a live performance. The event will take place in Dewsbury Minister on 6 May 2022. Together, Qawwali musicians, a brass band, and folk singers will perform the piece.
The music will be accompanied by a reading from local poet Ahmad Lunat who will read a new piece of poetry inspired by the stories collected by the INTERWOVEN project.
Celebrate the sound of Kirklees
The INTERWOVEN project team is made up of Huddersfield based artists Hardeep Sahota, Mandeep Samra and ex-Chumbawamba musician and writer Boff Whalley.
Mandeep Samara said “We really want to hear the personal stories of life working in the textile industry of Dewsbury and the wider North Kirklees area, but in particular those from South Asian communities.
“They will feature in both the live performance element and other aspects of the overall project. It’s a great opportunity to create something which is totally unique but celebrates the sound of Kirklees both in its heritage and the present.”
Nat Walton, Woven Festival Curator, commented, “INTERWOVEN is just one of the many exciting projects which takes place as part of the wider WOVEN festival, so we’re thrilled to be able to expand on the great work achieved so far and bring live performances to local communities.
“Engaging with the local community is key to the success of the WOVEN festival so this project is a unique way for people to be part of something really special for all to enjoy.”
Councillor Will Simpson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees said: “INTERWOVEN will be a great way to bridge the gap between our WOVEN festivals, which currently take place every two years. It’s projects like this that truly bring to life the personal stories of residents who’ve worked in the textile industry here in Kirklees.
“Ensuring these aspects of our collective history are kept alive is important and telling these stories through performance and exhibitions will help bring them to life for our communities today.”
Share your stories
You can share stories, anecdotes and memories for the INTERWOVEN project. To share your story, you should contact the Community Development Coordinator Satnam Galsian by email satnam@manasamitra.com or mobile 07413 399054.
The team is particularly interested in stories from South Asian communities and their experiences of working in the local textile industry.
The deadline for submissions is the end of March.
Read More: WOVEN in Kirklees Festival 2021 – Innovation in Textiles with the Unlimited Space Agency
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