Arts for All - Mechanics Institute interior

The Mechanics Institute, one of the buildings designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and opened in 1865.

Leeds Mechanics Institute was founded in 1824 or 1825 (sources vary) and was first established in Park Row. A competition was announced for the plans for the new building in 1860, almost at the same time as Brodrick had won the contest for the Corn Exchange.

The plan was centred on a circular lecture room fitted in a rectangular shell which contained workshops, studios and a library.

In the early nineteenth century Mechanics Institutes were founded in many cities of the UK, the first being in Glasgow. They were usually funded by industrialists to provide education for working men, particularly in technical subjects. It has been said that one of the main aims was to steer people away from gambling and alcohol.

Very soon after the opening of the new building, in 1868, Leeds Mechanics Institute became the Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature, later renamed Leeds College of Technology, and now within the Metropolitan University. Research has also revealed that in 1903 it joined with the Literary Institute to form Leeds College of Art. That's the internet for you. Back to the books.

The embroidery was hand stitched on printed fabric by Hilary Thurlow.

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.

Leeds in Bloom

The panel celebrates the open spaces of Leeds seen throughout the year. Kirkstall Abbey in spring, The Queen's Hotel in summer, Roundhay Tropical House in autumn and Harewood in winter. Around each of the main pieces are leaves and flowers made using many different embroidery techniques.
Hilary Thurlow's needleweaving workshops were a great success. She showed many of the volunteers how to tack wire onto card in a leaf shape and then needleweave across the shape. These projects were so small that they could be carried in handbags and brought out at any time to do a bit more.
The one illustrated above was done by Joan Holah but quite often we don't have a name attached to the individual pieces. If you recognise yours please let me know.

An oak leaf with no name attached. I'll slip a few of these in on the blog from time to time.