Visit Our Museums
Exhibitions and Events
The Silk Museum, Park Lane Galleries have a special exhibition area which has changing displays which range from contemporary art exhibitions to exhibitions about the local football team. If you are interested in putting on your own exhibition at the museum please contact:
The Silk Museum,
Park Lane,
Macclesfield,
SK11 6TJ.
Tel: 01625 612045
email info@macclesfield.silk.museum
As well as an active programme of exhibitions and a programme of music and film at the Heritage Centre, the museum organises special craft club sessions for young people each half term and runs study days and craft activities for adults too.
The Way We Were:Life in Victoria's Heyday - March 22nd - June 21st
An exhibition focused on the lives of two families in 1880. How they lived and why. The exhibition uses room reconstructions based on contemporary evidence to explore the furnishings and way of life of two levels of society. Sound recordings and changing slides explore the families in more detail.
Venue: Macclesfield Silk Museums: Park Lane Gallleries, Park Lane, Macclesfield SK11 6TJ Open: 11 - 5pm Monday to Saturday and BH Monday from 1pm. Admission to exhibition is £1 or free with museum entry ticket. Website www.macclesfield.silk.museum
May 28th 11am - 12.30pm Meet the Very Hungry Caterpillars. Time to see the Silk Moth caterpillars really close up - see them on the microscope platform and learn basic filming techniques to film them for your home blog. Age 3-5 with parents, 5-9 without. FREE. Silk Museum, Park Lane Galleries.
May 29th: Celebrating National Insect Week: A practical guide to rearing Silk Moth species by Richard de Peyer, Director of the Macclesfield Silk Museum. There will be several breeding species being reared and available to inspect 4pm at the Park Lane Galleries. Price £2 to include notes and suppliers addresses
Tuesday June 17th 10am - 4pm. Mixed Crafts Design Workshop: Led by Stacey Harvey-Brown. Particularly intended for older senior school/college pupils and working craftspeople. Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield. £20 (free to students in full time education). Booking essential. Contact 01625 612045
July 5th - September 7th: Mechanical Drawing: The Schiffli Project Exhibition
The School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University houses the last working Schiffli machine in the Uk The machine, previously in use between 1905 and the 1970's in Macclesfield by AW Hewetson Ltd, has been used by 15 gifted contemporary artists to create individual works using the pantograph embroidery technique that the machine employes. The show will be at Macclesfield Silk Museums, Park Lane Galleries before touring on to the Knitting and Stitching show.
Thursday July 17th Masterclass: The Migration of stitches and the practice of stitch as movement 10.30am - 3pm Heritage Centre, Roe Street Macclesfield. Professor Anne Morrell will conduct a master-class based on her latest publication The Migration of Stitches and the Practice of Stitch as a Movement. The publication is the result of many years documenting and observing the making of embroidery stitches. This master-class should be of interest to those working with textile/embroidery collections, or to makers who wish to deepen their understanding. Materials will be provided. Cost £25 which includes a copy of the publication and a light lunch.
Saturday July 19th - Vegetable printing - Childrens drop in workshop using the inspiration of vegetable embroidery in the Museum to create colour prints from real vegetables. Take home a colourful salad FREE for children 3-8 years old (ages 3-5 parents must stay). Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery.
Thursday 31st July 10-12noon Gardening and Botany for the young. Led by Anne Woods formerly of Kew Gardens. Brief history of one of Englands earliest Borough Parks. 'Spot the difference' game. 'Treasure Hunt' - seeking answers to clues identifying specific trees, leaves flowers, doing bark rubbings, drawings. 'Be a botanist' plant cuttings to take home, press and label flowers, learn about 'home grown' remedies and potions. £3 for materials. Parents must accompany. West Park Museum, Prestbury Road. Booking essential on 01625 612045 .
Friday August 1st, 15th and 20th Story time for young bugs 11am -12.30pm. Stories with a creepy crawly, silky theme suitable for 3-5 year olds (parents to accompany) followed by stories suitable for up to 7 years old (parents to accompany). Toys and picture books provided in the new Spectrum displays. Feel free to drop in for all or part of this session. Silk Museum, Park Lane Gallery.
Wednesday 20th August Nimble Fingers: Make a paper pattern 10am - 1pm. The workshop is targeted at 6-15 year olds and will introduce them to the mechanics of making a pattern for a simple pinafore. Younger children may like to bring a doll or teddy to make for while older ones can work to full scale! Mid morning break for squash and biscuits. Child beginners please with parents willing to help take the new skill forward. FREE but pre booking essential. Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfiled SK11 6UT Enquiries 01625 612045 .
Monday October 27th, Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th. 10am -1pm Nimble Fingers: Knittings, Stitching and Crochet. 3 Workshops for children with their parents. Workshops targeted at 6-12 year olds. Each workshop will be about 3 hours with a break for squash and biscuits. Child beginners please with parents willing to help take the new skill forwards. FREE but pre booking essential. Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield SK11 6UT. Enquiries 01625 612045
Friday November 14th 7pm Land Army Girl Annie Barrow is getting married - and you're alll invited!... buts its 1944, everything is rationed, and we haven't seen any stockings for months! How will she put a trousseau together (not to mention rustle up a white wedding dress?). Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield. SK11 6UT. Join us on a perilous quest for parachute silk, knicker elastic, red lipstick and some good old fashioned glamour as we take Annie out of her Land Girl breeches and transform her into a picture-perfect bride. This delightfully nostalgic presentation features real and replica 1940's items, all to evoke the era of rationed fashion. Tickets £5. Enquiries 01625 612045
TALKS
July 10th: The romance of modern manufacture: a brief history of embroidered embellishment. Talk by Dr Melanie Miller, Route Leader, MA Textiles at Manchester Metropolitan Univiersity. Explores embroidery machines and their products from the early 19th century to the present. 7pm at the Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield SK11 6TJ Admission Free. Enquiries 01625 612045
July 16th: Jacquard weaving back to the Future: An exciting illustrated talk from Stacey-Harvey Brown one of the UK's most requested and charismatic weave teachers. Focuses on European jacquard weaving from draw looms to the present day. Includes images from the US and UK. See www.theloomroom.co.uk and www.macclesfield.silk.museum. 2pm. At the Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield SK11 6TJ Price £4 Students £3 Booking essential on 01625 612045
September 11th: Archive to Contemporary: An illustrated talk by Stacey Harvey-Brown. Describes the use of fabric analysis from woven archive collections as inspiration for contemporary design. Featuriing collections in Macclesfield, Florence, Lyon and the Leeds textile archive. See www.theloom.co.uk and www.macclefield.silk.museum. 6pm at the Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield SK11 6TJ Price £4 Students £3 Booking essential on 01625 612045
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HALF TERM CHILDREN'S CRAFT CLUBS
Thursday 29th and Friday 30th May - CREEPY CRAWLIES - models of ladybirds, spiders, butterflies etc
Thursday 7th and Friday 8th August - PIECES OF EIGHT - pirate hats, maps and treasure
Thursday 14th and Friday 15th August - Masks and mosaics - allsorts!
Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd August - Prints and tints - different types of printing/dyeing
Thursday 28th and Friday 29th August - Seaside Splash - stencilling, glass painting and models of sea creatures
For children aged 6-12 in the Education Room, Silk Industry Museum, Park Lane. 10am - 12 noon.
Booking (essential) commences 2 weeks before each workshop. Payment in advance please, ring: 01625 612045 Booking for Summer Holiday Clubs commences on Monday 14th July