Heritage Threads: A Local Textile Collection Reimagined

Description

This unique exhibition showcases students’ creative responses to a family’s historic textile collection. ‘Heritage Threads’ offers an intimate exploration of how history, memory, and craftsmanship intertwine. It presents a dialogue between a family’s cherished textile heritage and the vibrant new works it has inspired. Each piece showcases the students’ connection to textiles’ cultural and artistic importance while honouring the tradition of collecting and preserving cloth within families. Celebrating the continued relevance of textile art and design, and bridging generations in a compelling tribute to heritage, creativity, and community, this exhibition invites you to connect with the past and present.

This project commemorates 175 years of the Belfast School of Art and its connection to the city’s rich textile heritage. Centred on a family textile collection, a trove of linen, cotton, lace, embroidery, costume, and woven artefacts donated to Ulster University, the initiative engaged students across all levels of the BA (Hons) Textile Art, Design, and Fashion (TADF) course. Supported by academic and technical staff, students explored the intersection of historical and practical textile practices.

Project leads: Lyndsey McDougall & Anna Duffy