Memories of East Lancashire's cotton era (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Memories of East Lancashire's cotton era

2:03pm Monday 28th November 2011 in Helmshore By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

AN atmospheric video charting the incredible impact of the cotton industry on East Lancashire has been published online.

Twelve young film-makers have drawn upon the resources offered at Burnley’s Queen Street Mill, and Helmshore Textile Museum, to shape a visual poem entitled ‘Weave A Future, Hope and Peace’.

Part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the collective worked with Manchester producers REELMcr on the ambitious work, as part of the Stories of the World project.

And the old looms of Burnley and Rossendale provided the perfect inspiration.

Project worker Jacqui Carroll said: “One of the aims of Stories of the World was for the group to work on and write their own poem using everything they have learnt while on the project, which would then be made into a video.”

The dozen contributors include Monir Abdim, Saif Ali, Danielle Carlin, Melissa Cooke, Stephanie Hodson and Kimberley Ironside.

Elsewhere young people have been working with performance artists, to produce a piece of theatre based on the textile industry, and alongside a photographer, to pull together a book outlining their experiences of different areas of their home town.

Earlier this year a catwalk show, dubbed ‘Spinning A Yarn’, was also held at the Helmshore venue and showcased the work of students on the Extended Diploma fashion course at Burnley College.

The premiere of the entire body of work will be at Burnley Mechanics on February 5.

Young people involved in Stories of the World in the north west have also been invited to apply for 10 places on an upcoming research trip to India.