The Women’s Line was a snapshot of Macclesfield-resident women’s family trees presenting

their female lines artistically through highly personal mixed media portraits and memories that ran throughout September 2024 in Macclesfield Library and the Silk Museum. 

 

The project engaged both artists and those not identifying as artists. Diverse adult community members attended 52 creative workshops and conversations across 7 months, building local creative community connections and opportunities. The workshops connected women with their heritage, inspiring them to connect with their ancestors and even discover more about themselves and each other and unifying us through both our differing and common experiences.

​

It culminated in an ambitious large-scale and immersive collective installation at the Silk Museum, and a smaller one in Macclesfield Library Gallery.

​

The ‘trees’ hung from golden pegs like treasured ‘washing’ around the space, shining a spotlight on important female family members whose lives are so often erased through patriarchal societal norms. The line was a beautiful silk cord hand-spun with hand-dyed raw silk that is still imported by local firm, Gaddums, today.

​

The exhibitions were open to the public in Macclesfield Library from September 4th - September 28th and in the Silk Museum from September 6th - October 5th 2024

 

 

The exhibition included a launch celebration on Saturday September 14th at the Silk Museum with music, performances, plus other events such as discussions and arts workshops during its run on topics including menopause, menarche, museum of mum, visible mending, crochet and knitting.

​

The launch celebration event included:

 

• Nibbles and drinks ‘from our culture’.

• Sound piece responding to the 1984 etching ‘Job Sharing’ by Val Hitchcock using thoughts and voices from Women’s Line participants created by Leanne Cunningham.  

• Performance by Natalya Jaddock of a song sung by Ukranian women to the bride on their wedding day.

• South African Drumming & Dance with Jean Mkhize-Diamini, family and friends

• Local mother-daughter artists Michelle and Maxene Brown recited two poems from their collection of Victorian poetry.

 

To keep up-to-date follow The Women's Line on Instagram @the_womens_line.

 

The Women’s Line is a Maccreate project. Maccreate aims to build creative community, collaboration and opportunities for high quality art projects in Macclesfield and support the growth of the town's reputation for arts, culture and heritage.

 

The project was made possible by funding from UK Government via Cheshire East Council.

​