Map 18 – The Seacroft Tapestry

Collecting and Recording Stories

The Seacroft Tapestry is the culmination of a year of work in 2019 – a process of collecting and recording stories and experiences of life in the Seacroft area. The Tapestry has been on display at Chapel FM.

The stories come from many different perspectives and have been recorded in film and textiles. Lots of people have been involved including local schools and art groups and patients at Seacroft Hospital.

As part of the project we created a short film with members of the local community, which you can watch here:

A series of public events have taken place as part of the exhibition, including screenings of the film and maypole dancing sessions with local schoolchildren and with members of Pyramid of Arts, a local arts organisation that makes work with people with and without a learning disability.

As part of the project, we’ve also been working with Keepmoat Homes to offer local children an insight into new developments in housing in their local area. This has resulted in the creation of a site-specific workshop and performance called Site Visit.

Children taking part in Site Visit are placed ‘in role’ as local building contractors, visiting the site office, a portacabin on South Parkway. Here, they looked at site plans, learnt about the history of housing in the area and found out about how buildings are designed and what different process are involved. Specialists from Keepmoat came to the cabin to talk to them about the work in progress in Seacroft.

---

Project credits

Tapestry created together with:
Seacroft Arts and Literature Society; Seacroft Friends and Neighbours; Parents and children at Seacroft Grange and Beechwood Primary Schools; Patients at Seacroft Hospital; Members of Threading Tales at Space 2.

Tapestry designed and coordinated by Hayley Mills-Styles, concept by Alison Andrews and Matthew Bellwood.

Film created together with:
Seacroft Friends and Neighbours; Staff and children at Beechwood Primary School and Seacroft Grange Primary School. Queen Elizabeth II portrayed by Pearl Allen.

Filming and editing by Andy Wood, battle and maypole choreography by Vanessa Grasse, concept by Alison Andrews and Matthew Bellwood.

Site Visit devised and presented by: Alison Andrews, Matthew Bellwood, Oscar Stafford, with contributions from Katie, Justin, Ben and Simon from Keepmoat Homes