Social Fabric: Textile project triumphantly returns to Churston Library

Libraries Unlimited commissioned Devon-based textile artist, Allegra Galvin to work on an ambitious project across Brixham, Churston, Paignton and Torquay libraries. Allegra’s proposal, Social Fabric, involved public workshops in which participants pieced together segments of fabric which hold specific meaning for them. Storytelling is a huge part of the project, which culminated in the creation of a single large quilt that brings together those individual stories into a rich and multi-layered whole.

Over 50  participants took part in the project and the quilt was exhibited nationally at the prestigious Festival of Quilts in Birmingham at the beginning of August. In September, the quilt returned to Churston Library where it will be exhibited before touring to Brixham, Paignton and Torquay libraries.

The celebration that launched the exhibition in Churston Library was attended by Torbay library teams and many of the participants who had become friends during the sewing sessions. The exhibition includes an audio element, where visitors can listen to stories from local inhabitants of Torbay .

Michelle Plumb, Team Leader at Churston Library, said: “We had the absolute delight of hosting the launch event for the ‘Social Fabric Project,’ which we have been working on in Torbay for several months alongside the Creative Communities team. Led by textile artist Allegra Galvin and her team, it was wonderful to welcome them, along with staff, participants, and library users from across the bay, to celebrate with tea and cake.”

Social Fabric quilt, complete with its audio and visual transcripts, is on tour this autumn/winter:

• 12 September – 16 October at Churston Library
• 18 October – 13 November at Paignton Library
• 15 November – 11 December at Brixham Library
• 13 December – 15 January at Torquay Library

Find out more about the project here: Evolve – Social Fabric (librariesevolve.org.uk)

Find out more about Allegra Galvin and her work here: www.wildwoodstudio.org

Social Fabric is a Libraries Unlimited Artist Commission funded by the Arts Council of England.

Photo credit: Emma Stoner