On the afternoon of Friday 24 January we’re hosting an event at Chapel FM.

Join us for refreshments from 4-5.30pm. Visit the Seacroft Tapestry installation made over the last year by community groups in collaboration with thread artist Hayley Mills-Styles, and see the film shot and edited by Andy Wood that re-creates some historic moments in the Seacroft story, with a cast of local people. You will also hear from the children about their Site Visit, and meet representatives from Keepmoat.

As part of our Seacroft Tapestry project, we’ve been working with Keepmoat Homes to offer local children an insight into new developments in housing in their local area.

For Site Visit the children will be ‘in role’ as clients, contractors and architects, visiting the site office, a portakabin on South Parkway. They will look at site plans, learn about how buildings are designed and what different process are involved. Specialists from Keepmoat will talk to them about the work in progress in Seacroft.

 

We are delighted to invite you to Chapel FM to celebrate the launch of The Seacroft Tapestry.

The Tapestry is the culmination of a year of work; a process of collecting and recording stories and experiences of life in the Seacroft area. The stories come from many different perspectives and have been recorded in film and textiles. Lots of people have been involved and this is an opportunity to share and enjoy the work they have created.

On Friday 29th November, 3.30pm-5pm, there will be a warm welcome, including tea and cake at the Old Seacroft Chapel on York Road, for everyone involved in the project and locals of Seacroft.

The winter months are dark and cold, but we hope to offer some light and warmth. If you can’t make the 29th, there will be many other opportunities to come along, and to leave and weave your own story into the Tapestry.

The Tapestry will be open to the public into the Spring of 2020. Dates and times will be confirmed soon.

The Seacroft Tapestry is the culmination of a year of work; a process of collecting and recording stories and experiences of life in the Seacroft area.

The stories come from many different perspectives and have been recorded in film and textiles. Lots of people have been involved and this is an opportunity to share and enjoy the work they have created.

The Tapestry is coming to The Old Seacroft Chapel on York Road and will be in place into the Spring of 2020. The winter months are dark and cold, but we hope to offer some light and warmth. Come along to leave and weave your own story into the Tapestry.

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.

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.

Seacroft Tapestry

As a development of our work in the area, we are pleased to be in partnership with Keepmoat, whose housing developments are rapidly transforming the housing offer in Seacroft.  We will shortly be installing an exhibition of textile work, created by members of the community with the support of thread artist, Hayley Mills-Styles.  Regular workshops have produced cushions, curtains, bunting and a table cloth with the contributors names embroidered, to celebrate the communal creative process.  We thought that if Bayeux could have a tapestry, Seacroft could have one too.

Exhibition dates will be announced shortly.

 

The Leeds Tarot

In Spring 2020, we will begin work on The Leeds Tarot.  This will explore the tradition of using cards to interpret dreams, to support hopes and ambitions, to try out new scenarios, and to dare to design your own future.  Watch this space for information on how to get involved.

The Seacroft Scroll is a 4 metre long publication that charts the history of the area.

Seacroft, Leeds, was originally a small farming settlement.  It is mentioned in the Domesday Book.  Archaeological finds, including Roman coins and a Neolithic hand axe offer evidence of earlier habitation.  The monks of Kirkstall Abbey held land in the area during the Middle Ages and in 1643, a civil was battle took place here resulting in the loss of over a thousand men.

It is currently one of the largest estates of housing built by the local authority in the country.  As part of Leeds City Council’s social housing programme, Seacroft emerged in the mid 20th Century as ‘a satellite town within the city boundary’.

Stories include the Battle of Winwaed in AD 655 and the Queen’s visit to open the new Civic Centre in AD 1965. When rolled up tightly the scroll can be carried in your pocket – but it contains stories and images co-created with a wide range of Seacroft residents.

We are very proud that the Seacroft Scroll has even found a place on Wikipedia as part of the History of Seacroft.

The complete Seacroft Scroll is available to view. Click below to load the document as an image (may take a moment to load).

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Seacroft portraits by Lizzie Coombes

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Developing the materials

Photos by Lizzie Coombes and Matthew Bellwood showing development work and story gathering for the Seacroft Scroll taken at the Discovery Centre, Leeds Central Library and primary schools in Seacroft.

Discussing the Seacroft Scroll

Alison and Matthew describe the Scroll and discuss their approach to the project, with Peter Spafford (in four parts).

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The Seacroft Scroll was created by the following people:

Artistic Team
Alison Andrews – Lead Artist
Matthew Bellwood – Lead Artist
Lizzie Coombes – Photography
Ross Horsley – Archive Advice
Jaye Kearney – Workshop Facilitator
Amy Levene – Graphic Design
Matt Rogers – Workshop Support
Peter Spafford – Project Documentation

Leeds Libraries
Liam Garnett
Sally Hughes
Helen Skilbeck
Greg Stringer
Sue Wright

Discovery Centre
Gabrielle Hamilton
Andrew Kyrover
Kitty Ross

With thanks to:
Jane Riley and Anna Goodridge at The Leeds Library
Patsy Lyttle and Artemis
Sarah Hopkinson and Keepmoat Homes
Kate Taverner and the staff at North and South Seacroft
Friends and Neighbours
Staff and members of LS14 Trust

This document has been created with:
Staff and children at Beechwood Primary School
Staff and children at Seacroft Grange Primary School
Interviewees: Barbara Ackroyd, Sylvia Adams, Pearl Allen, Margaret Arnett, Zoe Carty, Joanne Curtis, Pearl Field, Mick and Doreen Firth, Paul Fletcher, Dorothy Frankland, Edna Garbutt, Geoff Hardwick, Graham Hyde, Jaimes Moran, Marjorie Nichols, Linda Palmer, Geraldine Talbot, Audrey Ward, Jean Ward, Audrey Wilson, Sue Wright, David Wrighton