The unique story of our people and our place
A CELEBRATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF KIRKLEES
Commissioned by Kirklees Council as part of Kirklees Year of Music 2023, HERD is a musical and sculptural odyssey of epic proportions.
The district’s rich heritage in textiles began when people realised that the Pennine hill land was ideal for farming sheep and the Colne and the Holme rivers ran through the millstone grit, providing a plentiful supply of soft water, essential for the washing of raw wool. Then came the industrial revolution of the 19th Century, bringing with it great change, as the wool industry became mechanised and moved from homes to the factories and mills.
Inspired by the formative history of the woollen trade, its industrial heritage and the people who came from all over to work in the textile mills, HERD knits together musical traditions and identities in a musical and sculptural odyssey of epic proportions.
Bank Bottom Mill landscape
SING & SEW
Thanks to funding from National Lottery players, HERD has joined forces with WOVEN textile festival to present Sing & Sew, a special programme to engage Kirklees communities in the district’s rich music and textile heritage.
Sing & Sew tells the story of Kirklees’ industrial heritage: from being a centre of heavy woollen manufacturing in the 19th-21st centuries, to becoming a textiles innovation hub today. By working with local young people to revive forgotten music traditions, capture oral histories and learn textiles skills, HERD will encourage people to explore and celebrate their heritage. Meanwhile, the WOVEN summer festival will connect people with traditional textiles skills through intergenerational workshops, education and a ‘Make Do and Mend’ Roadshow.
Woven_Confidence in Sewing
EXPLORE KIRKLEES MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Interested in learning more about Kirklees heritage? Visit the heritage sites and collections on display year-round in Kirklees Museums and Galleries.
Plus, you can find out about upcoming events in Kirklees Museums and Galleries by visiting Creative Kirklees, the free guide to arts and creative events, news and opportunities in Kirklees.
A brand-new Heritage Strategy is in development for Kirklees. Read the draft strategy: We Are Making History.
Learn more about Kirklees Council’s plans for the Kirklees Cultural Heart, a proposed new development including a dedicated museum space and art gallery.
