Community Spirit - Rob Bumby

A very short post today. Rob Bumby was also involved in Common Purpose.
He was also hand and machine stitched on printed fabric (Three and a half hours).

Community Spirit - Jane Hustwitt

Jane was a participant in Common Purpose (see Wednesday's entry).

The embroidery was machine and hand stitched on printed fabric by Janet Taylor. The observant will realise that below the knees the piece is untouched. The lower legs are hidden on the Community Spirit panel and embroidering them, and other covered pieces would have made the final result too bulky.

Community Spirit - Common Purpose

Kate and I have just been interviewed by James, a student at Leeds Met, who is writing a piece about the Tapestry on the University web magazine. This reminded me that one of the factors which led to Kate instigating such a huge project was 'Common Purpose'

"Common Purpose is all about finding, encouraging and developing leaders: wherever they are and whatever they are currently doing. To encourage individuals to help to change and improve society (rather than waiting for others to take the lead always)."

A precursor of Mr Cameron's big society.

The embroidered logo is one of the few on the panels which was executed using a domestic computerised sewing machine.

Community Spirit - NSPCC

I should really have mentioned this event before, rather than after the event. A really successful day and still worth including today to make people aware that it may be repeated. I met so many people I know, and haven't seen for years, the common thread? Textiles.




One visitor to the event yesterday embroidered the children for the NSPCC logo. I could remember what she'd made before her name - the danger of being obsessed with databases. So, Julia Cooper, if you're reading this, did you use a computerised machine to make the children? and who stitched the NSPCC?

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was founded in 1884 by Reverend Benjamin Waugh.

Community Spirit - Carnival Queen

This is the final embroidery on the Tapestry from Chapeltown Carnival. Another of the Carnival Queens, this one stitched by Margaret Clark with hand made lace by Audrey Pigeon.

Community Spirit - Injuns

Machine and hand stitched by Jackie Ford (20 hours), this trio was also involved with Carnival. Yet again we have no idea who the boys (?) are or which year they were dressed like this.

The sun is shining this morning so fingers crossed, the weather stays dry for the procession.

Community Spirit - Carnival Queen

Another of the pieces from Carnival, this time one of the Queens. Lets hope the weather stays dry for the next two days for this, the 43rd Carnival. See the blog entry for Arthur France for more details of the history of the event.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Godfrey Harland (17 hours)

Community Spirit - Carnival Boy

Bank holiday weekend and it's Chapeltown Carnival time. It's a three day event with a procession starting in Potternewton Park on Monday. Not sure which year this boy is from, so if anyone could identify him I would be grateful.

The piece was hand stitched on printed fabric by Godfrey Harland (68 hours).

Community Spirit - Irish Dancer

An Irish dancer. There are many thriving groups and classes for the dance around Yorkshire and there's a website devoted to the subject, including making the dresses. These dresses must take an age to make with the design in embroidery and applique.

So, an embroidery of embroidery, stitched by Jan Brown on printed fabric. Does anyone know who the girl is?

Community Spirit - Orissi Dance

The Orissi dance is the Indian classical dance from the Eastern state of Odissa. It has a long, yet broken tradition. Although dance in Odissa may be traced back more than 2000 years, it was brought to near extinction during the colonial period. Therefore, modern Odissi dance is a reconstruction.

There are taster classes in Leeds to learn some forms of Indian dancing and Zoobin Surty's group often have end of year/term exhibitions at the Yorkshire Dance Centre.

The piece was hand stitched by Thelma Manning (30 hours) on printed fabric.

Community Spirit - Bharatanatyam Dancer

On the Community Spirit panel there are several dancers from many parts of the world. The Morris men and Women have been blogged (see 14th May) already.

Today's offering is Bharatanatyam from South India, not just a dance but a variety of natya yoga which reveals the spiritual through the physical and emotional body. It's possibly more enlightening to check out their website than having me getting things wrong.

Margaret Clark hand stitched this piece (39 1/2 hours).

Community Spirit - Caring Together

Another community organisation, this one based in Woodhouse and Little London. Caring Together provides support and practical advice to people aged 50+ in the area.

The embroidery was hand and machine stitched on printed fabric by Ena Dunn (10 hours).

Community Spirit - Armley Helping Hands

Some time ago a friend sent me a link to this site describing an exhibition of photographs at Armley Mills illustrating the hands of women who worked at the mill. Many of those workers now meet at Armley Helping Hands, the local organisation which supports the elderly, with activities and a lunch club helping to prevent social isolation.

A small piece of embroidery but Armley Helping Hands is represented on the Tapestry with this, hand stitched by Barbara Farrugia (3 hours).

Community Spirit - Skippco

Skippco is another Charity, this one based entirely in Leeds. They have been working with groups in the community since 1988, devising arts activities to meet the needs of each specific audience.

I believe they're always on the lookout for volunteers, so if you have any spare time.........

The embroidery was hand stitched by Val Gomersall.

Community Spirit - Youth at Risk

The logo was hand stitched by Joyce Maynard (5 hours)

The two boys above were hand stitched and appliqued by Hilary Thurlow and the group below were hand stitched on printed fabric by Myra Turner (13 hours).

Youth at Risk is another community programme to help young people, quoting from their website

Youth at Risk is a charity dedicated to young people whose reality has become
crime, exclusion from school, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse and
other self-harm. We support them.We encourage them to choose to get back
on track and give up the habits which are holding them back.

Beyond hope’, ‘no future’ – these are phrases we don’t entertain. We believe,
passionately, that our approach, which is sometimes challenging, will prevent
them from exclusion from school, being benefit-dependent, imprisonment,
alcohol/drug abuse and suicide. There are no “ready-made” solutions. Each
and every young person who comes to us is different. We deal with them
individually. Some are already hardened, others are on their way to being
so.

We respect them. We help them find out what makes them tick, and why they ‘tick’
the way they do.

Community Spirit - Latch

Latch was started in 1989 and still has the same objectives to rehabilitate houses in Leeds and thus provide homes for young people (16-25) with housing needs. The young people being housed are involved in all aspects of renovating the buildings and given support to maintain their independence after the building is complete.

I've just found reference to one of their properties on a history of Leeds website.

Vivienne Brown embroidered the house and said this of the Tapestry project

"As a workshop leader and occasional volunteer stitcher, it has given me great pleasure to be involved in this project.
Initially I was inspired by Kate's visionary ideas and ideals, and then amazed by her qualities of leadership which resulted in the project gathering momentum, developing, and progressing over the many months.
Many of my students became involved and I helped whenever I could. Always I was impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of the helpers.
These stunning panels, which are dedicated to the City of Leeds, also celebrate those who have helped in their making, and symbolise their creativity, their energy and their sustained stamina!"

Jackie Moore hand stitched the logo on printed fabric.

Community Spirit - Audrey Pigeon

A very satisfying conversation yesterday revealed the relationship between these two. Above is Nicholas, holding an orange at the Christingle Service and making an appearance on the Faith Panel. Below is his grandmother Audrey Pigeon, one of the volunteers at the Tapestry.

Sadly, Audrey died before the first 15 panels were put on display at Harewood, but her family were there to see the work, and to make sure her name was in the database. I presume Nicholas has left school now? A very funny lady who kept us in stitches (sorry) at the workshops and was very tolerant of the fads and fashions of 'the youth of today'.
Joan Holah embroidered Audrey on printed fabric and Audrey Gabbitas (nee Pigeon - no relation) embroidered Nicholas.

Community Spirit - Mother and child

Beverley wasn't the only member of the Silverman family to become involved with the Tapestry. Her mother, Renee, originally came on board to help with the administration and office duties (and is still the minutes secretary for the Board of Trustees). Gradually she began to embroiderer too, with stunning results.

Renee spent hours hand stitching her daughter-in-law and grandson for the Community Spirit panel. She ironed it when finished and the face turned into a shrivelled prune. Fortunately by this time she had become one of the volunteers who printed the images onto fabric so, with a newly printed face, longer hair and higher collar to hide the applique, Hilary and Jonathan were ready to join the audience watching the procession.