Threads
4/19/20262 min read
Threads binds together the tapestry of stories that make up a community. Inspired by the beautiful heritage site Coldharbour Mill, with its rich and layered history of producing yarns, cloth and textiles, the project weaves together lives from the local community.
Combining a love of textiles and dance this project has been a dream of mine for many years. Upon approaching my local mill in the summer of 2025, I was met with warm enthusiasm by Meg Stavaru and from inspired conversations the project took its first steps.
There are already so many strands to Threads, research visits to the mill bring more ideas each time and now we have begun engaging with local community groups, Threads is beginning to grow and re-shape, unravel and reform, then tangle and knot to the point that I have no idea what colour, pattern or texture this creation will become....yet we have a date for your diaries...
26th June 2026 at 6pm
Local dance artists Ruth Bell and Tamsin Evans invite you to join them for a community celebration and sharing at
Here I will be sharing our journey as Tamsin and I begin weaving together the many strands of Threads......
Where else to begin...learning about the process from fleece to fabric and recording movement and sounds of the machines to inspire the choreography and soundscape
Coldharbour Mill
The Elders
Through movement and creative exploration we have gathered memories in relation to textiles with some of the residents from Markers housing. They have generously shared their stories of reuse, thrift and mending. We are especially interested in those threads which connect us to our ancestors and the memories of that which is handed down through the lines of our families and the sharing of these skills.
We are also celebrating those threads which connect us as communities, to each other and across the generations. Thank you to these beautiful women who have generously shared time with us.
Co-choreographing in the Mill
Elements are coming together as we gather layers, choreography influenced from the elders memories, motion of the machines and aesthetics of the mill.
