New Sekers Objects exhibition and archive set to launch in February
New Sekers Objects exhibition and archive set to launch in February
Since 2023 Handpicked productions have been busy working on their National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project, Sekers Objects. With your help they’ve looked under beds, peeked in sheds and scoured mantle pieces, collecting objects that tell the stories of Sekers Fabric, the iconic design and fabric manufacturer that was the beating heart of the West Cumbrian community for so long.
In February 2025 these objects will come together for the first time, and you are invited you to join them at Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven from 2-27 February and step into the world of Sekers’ Objects.
The exhibition transforms Rosehill into a ‘sample book’ of Sekers Fabric. Journey through the timeline of this pioneer in fabric design and manufacturing. The exhibition is staged at Rosehill, the theatre that was created by the founder of West Cumberland Silk Mills – Sir Nicholas ‘Miki’ Sekers, as a beacon of culture for his employees and the wider community.
Hear from the people who worked there and see the objects that have moved down the generations. Glimpse into the glamorous world of Sekers ‘at-home’ and meet some of the figures, like Miki Sekers and Bill Hamilton who were the visionaries behind Sekers Fabrics for much of the twentieth century.
Alongside the curation of the exhibition Handpicked have worked creatively with communities through their ‘Sewing Circles’ project in partnership with Teeside University. Sewing Circles used artefacts and images from the home and Sekers Fabric archive to invite participants to share memories relating to women’s creativity in the home.
Handpicked Director, Anne Timpson says:
We never want our work to be passive. We want to work with the communities and give them ownership of their heritage. We see this as not only telling a story of the past but making sense of the areas present and giving an inspirational resource for the future.
The exhibition is free, and there will also be a special Sekers programme of events. Highlights include Sekers Sewing Circles Cinema, where guests are invited to come together and craft while watching classic films featuring Sekers fabrics, such as “My Fair Lady”. There will also be family craft workshops, and the legendary fabric sales will make an appearance. The cult movie “Withnail and I” will also be screened, as none other than Uncle Monty’s house has a Sekers connection too.
Launching alongside the exhibition will be an accessible digital archive of the objects and stories. Sekers Fabrics were made in Whitehaven, but they made waves in the global fashion and textile industry making fabrics for royalty, fashion houses such as Dior, Balmain and Nina Ricci thus enabling it to still be manufacturing abric to this day from Dundee. We hope this archive preserves memories of a fond employee, creates a foundation to build from, but also creates a research tool for the future.
The exhibition runs from: Sunday 2 February – Thursday 27 February
Open: Tuesday – Sunday 11-4pm and is free to attend
To learn more about what’s happening, follow Cumbria Guide on our social media
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