Handmade in Burnley
Burnley has a rich history in manufacture, particularly in textile, and at one time, it was one of the largest producers of cotton in the world. It was the place where a major turning point in history, the Industrial Revolution, made its greatest impact. Today, Burnley retains the human and creative resource to reclaim its leadership role in manufacture and industry. It can effectively do so by referring to the original meaning of manufacture, “making by hand”, derived from the Latin manus, hand, and factura, a making, from facere, to make, and industry, industrius, meaning diligent.
The Burnley Borough Council is emphasising the need for developing manufacturing skills and is working with the Prince’s Charities to achieve this as part of the regeneration of Burnley. Through this project, The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts aims to recover for the people of Burnley their leadership in manufacture by drawing from its original meaning. Thus, the “Handmade in Burnley” Project will be launched as a part of His Royal Highness’s vision for the social, economic and environmental regeneration of Burnley.
The main objective of the community workshops is to awaken and develop craft skills among men and women in the community; build an understanding of the traditional principles of design in the context of the diverse cultures they represent; and produce fine crafts by hand which can be developed into marketable products which will be labelled “Handmade in Burnley.” The project also hopes to raise the confidence of participants and enable them to work harmoniously as a group.
In the summer of 2009, The Prince’s Trust invited The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts to conduct workshops within their Art FM programme which culminated at the Burnley Community Festival at the end of August. Shortly thereafter, The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts launched the first in a series of workshops for Handmade in Burnley in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire and held these in UCLan’s new Burnley campus.
In 2011, Handmade in Burnley is in its third phase and is conducted at Townley Hall, a new project partner, with a continuing support of The Altajir Trust.
