Bags of Inspiration - June 1st 2011
A young lady from Morpeth has every right to feel proud when she pays a visit to Woodhorn these days, as visitors to the Northumberland museum are quite possibly carrying home a souvenir that she designed.
Bridie Bloor from King Edward VI School in Morpeth was one of more than 50 young people from Bedlington, Morpeth, Ashington and Whitley Bay to take part last year in a special project as part of Museumaker, a national imitative involving imaginative interchanges between heritage establishments and contemporary craft folk. The youngsters worked with a number of mentors to simulate setting up a fashion/design label inspired by the Ashington Group (more popularly known now as the Pitmen Painters). The labels were developed using professional business planning techniques, and prototypes were produced under the guidance of North East based marketing, business and design entrepreneurs as well as the London College of Fashion. Their brief focused on the business plan, brand and prototype item that Woodhorn could feasibly stock in the museum shop. The plan was that one item from the winning label would be taken into production by Woodhorn. Over recent weeks the final touches have been made and two products have just hit the shelves.
Jo Raw, the Assistant Director at Woodhorn was very much involved with the Museumaker project.
“We are thrilled that our visitors now have the chance to take home unique souvenirs of their visit to Woodhorn, and that the development of those goods has provided young people in the area with an interesting and we hope rewarding opportunity.
“Bridie Bloor and her team came up with the idea of shopping bags carrying designs inspired by the artefacts,” explained Jo. “One carries powerful slogans from the proud Miners’ Banners, and the other reflects the more social side of the community life with details of a leek show and a folk evening.”
The goods are now on display and available to purchase in the Woodhorn shop alongside other products which were also designed though Museumaker but with professional crafts people.
Rebecca Chitty, a conceptual artist whose company designs interior products and gifts, and whose regular customers include Tate Modern, worked on two products: a stunning black and gold ceramic bowl inspired by a miner’s helmet and a blue plaque plate marking the Ashington Group of Artists.
Jessamy Kelly, a designer maker of contemporary glass and ceramics, and a specialist in both traditional handcrafted techniques and industrial, provided a new take on an old favourite, the snow dome, to produce the Soot Storm.
“With the Miners’ Picnic coming up on the 11 June,” explained Jo Raw, “visitors will be able to enjoy a great family day inspired by days gone by and take home a fitting souvenir.”