SFW HUB: LEEK

The Reward of Labour

A high-end fashion collection by Alicia Walker, the exhibit takes aesthetic inspiration from North Staffordshire workwear for the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent and the silk and dye industry in Leek. Colours derive from homegrown dye plants, along with traditional dyestuffs used in Leek's dye factories.

Sat 21 - Sat 28 Sep 10am, The Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery

The Exhibition of Natural Fibres

Curated by Cate Victoria, this exhibition showcases a diverse array of plant and animal fibres from around the globe, offering a fresh perspective on the world of raw materials. By exploring what these materials are, where they originate, and how they are produced, the exhibition reveals the innovative solutions to be found in nature.

Mon 21 Sep - Sat 29 Sep, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Nettle Dress Film Screening and Director Q&A with Kate Fletcher

Ahieving sell-out screenings across the UK, the film tells the story of textile artist Allan Brown's seven-year endeavour to weave a hand-spun dress from stinging nettles after the death of his wife. Following the film, director Dylan Howatt will be in conversation with Kate Fletcher, a leading global expert in design for sustainability.

Fri 27 Sep 7.30pm - 9.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Leek's Textile Heritage on Film

Ray Johnson MBE, Director of the Staffordshire Film Archive introduces films from Leek’s textile past followed by première of a fascinating film interview with Geoffrey Staton, former vicar of Cheddleton, a dyeworks apprentice in 1955.

28 Sep 7.30 - 9.45pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Sew Your Place

Sew Your Place is a large-scale collaborative textile map of the town of Leek - drop in and add your part to the map; The Gallery will also display textiles and documents that bring to life Leek’s textile past and showcase textile skills of the present.

Wed 25 - Sat 28 Sep, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Opening times: Wed 10am - 4pm, Thurs 10am -4pm, Fri 10am - 4pm and 6.30pm - 7.30pm, Sat 10am - 7.30pm

Hosted by League of Artisans and Outside Art, this art trail across Leek includes art from:

Deborah Bowness: If walls couldtalk: revealing the layers of history within old mill buildings.

Amber Cooper-Davies: Projected animations based on oral histories.

Harry Pizzey: The Heritage Collector brings the past to life through a cabinet of curiosities.

Please check online for times and access information.

Open Studio at Humming Loom

Emily Murch tells stories in cloth, creating heirloom textiles and wearable art. Visit her open studio to see her looms, hand-dyed yarns and exquisitely hand-woven garments.

28 - 29 Sep drop in 10am - 4pm, Humming Loom Studio

The St James Damask: An Exploration of the Politics and Design of William Morris.

Talk by Emily Lashford. The fascinating story of St. James Damask, designed for Morris & Co.’s second commission at St. James’s Palace in 1881 and woven by J.O Nicolson.

24 Sep 6pm - 1.15pm, Quaker Meeting House

Medieval Embroidery: From the Sacred to the Saucy

Tanya Bentham delves into the humorous and naughty side of mediaeval embroidery, revealing why the rude parts were removed from Leek’s famous Bayeux Tapestry replica!

25 Sep 7.30pm - 8.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

The Extraordinary Leek Embroidery Society by Cathryn Walton

Uncover the lives of the women and girls who stitched the Leek Embroidery Society's exquisite creations.

26 Sep 7.30pm - 9pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Indigenous Silks of Northeast India by Anna-Louise Meynell

An exploration of the indigenous silks of Northeast India and the natural dyes of the region documented by Sir Thomas Wardle.

28 Sep 4.30pm - 5.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Art, Artists and Architects by Cathryn Walton

From Oscar Wilde to D.H. Lawence and Norman Shaw, William Morris was not the only famous face walking the streets of Leek in times past.

28 Sep 5.45pm - 6.45pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Ariadne's Thread: An Evening of Poetry and Prose

Text and textiles intertwine in performances by poets from the Moorlands and beyond, including Clare Press, host of The Wardrobe Crisis podcast, who will read from her new book Wear Next, Fashioning the Future.

23 Sep 7pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Weaving Words Poetry Workshop with Ailsa Holland

She spins a good yarn… I’ve lost my thread… What a web of lies… He’s embroidering the truth… A practical poetry workshop for all abilities

26 Sep 6pm - 8.30pm, Spout Brewhouse

Leek Textile Walk

With local historian Cathryn Walton. Discover impressive architecture and hear about the mill owners and the people who worked there on a guided walk around Leek’s former Silk and Textile Mills.

23 Sep 2pm - 3.30pm, 26 Sep 10am - 11.30pm, 29 Sep 10am - 11.30pm, meet outside The Nicholson Museum & Art Gallery

Draw and Discovery Walk with Becca Smith

Discover the rich textures, decorative architecture and odd corners of Stockwell Street through drawing. No drawing skills needed, just curiosity.

25 Sep 5.30pm - 7.15pm, Spout Brewhouse

Nature and Clothes with Kate Fletcher

Join Ecological Design Consultant Kate Fletcher to investigate the ways in which clothes can distance or bring us closer to natural systems, and what sensory research and practices of noticing can teach us about the places in which we live on this ecological walk in the Peak District.

Fri 27 Sep 2pm - 3.30pm, The Roaches, (meet at the main gate to enter the Roaches (in the Peak District National Park) on Roach Road, ST13 8UB.

Exhibition of St Edward's Church Embroideries & Talk by Rowena Lovatt

A unique opportunity to see the fine collection of Leek Embroidery Society’s work at St Edward’s Church, accompanied by an informative talk by Rowena Lovatt, a member of St. Edward's congregation. Tea and biscuits provided.

27 Sep 11.30am - 12.30pm, St Edwards Church

Botanical Embroidery Workshop

With Hoop & Fred: Stitch a design inspired by Leeks' rich textile heritage and local flora, including dye plants such as woad.

24 Sep, 1pm - 4pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

An Introduction to Drop-Spinning with Tyra Till

Learn the ancient skill of drop-spinning from local wool and take your own spindle home.

25 Sep 10am-3pm, Spout Brewhouse

Fabulous Flax to Lustrous Linen with Kirsteen McGregor

Learn how to process golden linen fibre from the flax plant stem through to woven cloth.

25 Sep 10.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

ExObjects writing workshop with A T Boyle

A creative writing workshop, using personal memories inspired by historical objects.

25 Sep 2pm - 3.30pm, Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery

Sew Your Place Mini-Map Machine Stitch with Ruth Moyes of Karumo

Create a textile map incorporating a variety of stitches, textile techniques, and found materials

26 Sep 9.30am - 12.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Sew Your Place: Embroidery Over Image Transfer with Jane Hadfield

Hand embroidery over iron-on- image transfer paper, using photographs of Leek’s industrial past

26 Sep 1.30pm - 4.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Bayeux Rudies Medieval Embroidery by Tanya Bentham, Opus Anglicanum

Recreate figures from the Bayeux tapestry or one of the other strange creatures from the margins of mediaeval art.

26 Sep 10.30am - 4pm, Spout Brewhouse

A Woven Landscape: Bobbin Lace-Making with Ruth Moyes of Karumo Textiles

Learn the basics of bobbin lace-making inspired by the colours and dynamic forms of the Roaches. Feel free to bring dried grasses, herbs or other flexible plants to make this piece unique and meaningful to you

27 Sep 9.30am - 12.30pm, Spout Brewhouse

Natural Paste Block Printing with Kate Turnbull

Use natural dye pastes with Wardle and Morris-inspired printing blocks to discover colour and pattern.

27 Sep two workshops: 10am - 12pm and 12.30pm - 2.30pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Pockets of History by Dr Ailsa Holland

Between the 17th and 19th centuries women’s pockets were separate from their clothing. Create your own pocket for your treasures and secrets

27 Sep 1.30pm - 4.30pm, Spout Brewhouse

Leek Embroidery Society Workshop by Lorna Knight

Learn the heritage stitches used by the Leek Embroidery society

27 Sep 10am - 2pm, The Lorna Knight Sewing Academy

FAMILY TEXTILE DAY

A day of textile activities for all the family. Discover the link between the first computers and the Jaquard card system and the amazing machines used to weave silk, try pattern printing, or watch demonstrations of cotton spinning and bobbin lace-making. Full schedule online.

28 Sep Drop in 10am - 4pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Weave a Cuff with Kim Greenwood

Weave and bead a decorative cuff in a workshop suitable for all ages

28 Sep 10am - 2pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Buttoned Up! Leek and Macclesfield Button-Making with Ann Martin.

Create your own iconic Leek and Macclesfield buttons using traditional methods.

28 Sep 9.30am - 11am, 11.30am - 1pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre

Block Printing Repeat Pattern with Becca Smith

Carve a lino block to recreate classic Wardle and Morris design patterns

28 Sep 1.30pm - 4pm, Foxlowe Arts Centre