Macclesfield Silk Museum’s packed summer programme

Above: one of the Guided Walks led by the Silk Museum guide Nicola also scheduled for June

The Silk Museum in Macclesfield has launched a packed summer programme – with creative activities for everyone with arts, crafts, live music and new, guided tours. 

Join with guides for special Up Close Museum tours, where visitors can discover the incredible collection of industrial machinery such as the Ribbon Loom, which made the tags for Dr Martens’ boots. Visitors will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the archive of Pattern Books – one of the largest collections in the UK.  

The historic Pattern Books contain cornucopia of patterns, used for fabric design over 200 years. Motifs range from classic paisley patterns through to whimsical animals, floral and abstract prints. These designs were used for houses such as Liberty of London and come from many of the mills that used to operate around Macclesfield.  

Do Something Summer has free, drop-in sessions every Saturday afternoon. Everyone is welcome to come and create something, materials are provided, and no experience is necessary. 

The Silk Museum is delighted to be working in partnership with Barnaby Festival and will be hosting a number of events over the weekend of Saturday June 17 and Sunday June 18. 

The Repeater by artist Simon Woolham, is a new installation made from rubbings of the Silk Museum and its collections. Simon Woolham is an artist based at Rogue Artist’s Studios in Manchester and a lecturer in Contemporary Art at the University of Huddersfield. Simon is also performing live music with the band L.A.S.H on Saturday June 17.  

Virtual Reality artist Jacki Clark will be leading an introduction to drawing and painting in Virtual Reality, where you can learn how to create a simple augmented reality. Participants will be able to create a drawing in light that you can walk through and round! The sessions are suitable for ages 12 years up.  

Arts collective IDST will be presenting a new piece of work called the Light Hive, a community artwork where 19 artists, makers and techies create a portrait of Macclesfield in 30 hexagonal light boxes that communicate the town in a new light! 

Director of the Silk Museum, Emma Anderson, says: “The Silk Museum has a history of being the creative centre for the town, as it was built as the original School of Art. We are very excited to be embracing this over summer with a whole range of creative classes, workshops, displays and events.  

“There is something for everyone. We encourage people to come and visit and try things out. Although many events are free we do encourage people to make a donation to our charity, which helps us to continue to deliver the work we do with our community.”  

Guided Walks take place each month around the town centre following different theme with one of the Museum’s knowledgeable guides. On 17th June you can discover how immigrants shaped the history of the town from the Huguenot Silk Weavers to the arrival of Italian families. And on 19th August you can learn why Macclesfield was known as Women’s Town.  

The Silk Museum will be opening the Tunnicliffe Garden on June 30 as part of Macclesfield’s Britain in Bloom entry. The Tunnicliffe Garden is supported by Macclesfield Town Council, and has been created by our staff with a team of Volunteers from Reach Out And Recover (ROAR) the local community and artists who attend the Silk Museum.   

The museum is also delighted to be launching a beautiful retail offer for lovers of fine textile craft and contemporary hand-made design. Driven by a passion for the very best of British craft and design, selecting a constantly evolving collection of the highest quality and originality, our new shop includes a range of inspirational handcrafted products, including textiles and jewellery.   

The Silk Museum is open Wednesday to Saturdays from 10am until 4pm and on Treacle Sundays. The museum will also be open on Sunday June 18^th for Barnaby Festival. 

To see the full programme of activity, visit the new Silk Museum website at https://macclesfieldmuseums.co.uk/whats-on