Local lace workers are invited to share their experiences in the industry with visitors to a one-day exhibition in Nottingham.
The Lace Unravelled roadshow will take place on 3 February 2018 at the Broadway Cinema, 10am-4pm, as part of a project to study Nottingham City Museums and Galleries’ lace collection – recently designated of national importance by Arts Council England.
The roadshow follows the successful first event in October 2017 at Long Eaton, and will exhibit a selection of items from the collection. The project team is also inviting former and current lace workers from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to attend the event to share stories, photos and objects relating to the lace industry.
Curator Ann Inscker said: “We hope our second event will be even more successful than the last. In October, we were kept very busy with steady streams of people with items to share or to generously donate.
“The Chair and the Treasurer of the Long Eaton Art Room also joined in with the activities, demonstrating a sock machine and providing information about the history of the buildings. It was the perfect venue for the event as they were originally lace factory buildings and also the HQ of Lace Productions Ltd – a key organisation in Nottingham Lace history.”
Cllr Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: “We are so glad to be able to build on a successful first roadshow with this event and I’m sure many former lace industry workers will join us at Broadway Cinema to share their memories and help us to further document Nottingham’s rich lace heritage. If the last event is anything to go by, it could turn out to be a bit of a lace workers’ reunion event too!”
A third event will be held in March. The Lace Unravelled Symposium will bring together curators, academics, experts and artists from the UK, France and Australia.
More information about the Arts Council England-funded Lace Unravelled project is available at www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/behindthescenes-blog.