Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith's Avatar

Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith

@cwellesleysmith.bsky.social

Artist, writer, curator, visiting fellow in Geography at the Open University. Thinking through textiles and geographies of making. Community allotment grower, everyday stitcher. Bradford UK

3,731 Followers  |  580 Following  |  26 Posts  |  Joined: 05.10.2023
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Posts by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith (@cwellesleysmith.bsky.social)

Love this, I knew it from the woven textile industry and have a great picture of a flyping machine for folding long pieces of finished cloth. Never heard it in relation to socks!

14.12.2025 12:19 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Brilliant Bill Ryder-Jones at Hebden Bridge Trades Club last night

10.12.2025 08:39 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A guide to the Guardian’s 2025 charity appeal partners This year’s appeal theme is hope – we are partnering with five charities supporting grassroots community work that challenges division, hate and despair

Absolutely thrilled that our β€˜We Will Sing’ partners The Linking Network are one of five grassroots charities selected by The Guardian for this years’ Christmas appeal. Please support them all as they seek to foster hope and diminish hate www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

08.12.2025 14:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Free screening of The Man in the White Suit (1951) 2pm, Saturday 18th Oct at The Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington as part of the #britishtextilebiennial programme. I’ll be giving a brief introduction with co-curator of The Synthetic Revolution exhibition Amber Butchart.

11.10.2025 12:25 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
British Textile Biennial

Towneley Hall is excited to be hosting the exhibition Pioneers of the Material World as part of the British Textile Biennial, which opens tomorrow!

The exhibition shows how clothing made for survival in extreme environments was later redefined for high street fashion and counter culture.

See…..

30.09.2025 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
V - Poem by Tony Harrison

RIP Tony Harrison.

Reading 'V' - THE great northern poem of the last 50 years - at 13 years old blew my mind apart.

famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/tony_h...

27.09.2025 08:57 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
Laboratory installation

Laboratory installation

Laboratory stories through 1950s and 1960s objects

Laboratory stories through 1950s and 1960s objects

Crimplene patchwork and Terylene bed covers

Crimplene patchwork and Terylene bed covers

Amber Butchart stitching in The Haworth Art Gallery

Amber Butchart stitching in The Haworth Art Gallery

Busy install week at The Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington with my co-curator Amber Butchart. The Synthetic Revolution tells the Lancashire story of the invention of polyester for the 2025 British Textile Biennial. Opens 2nd October.

27.09.2025 09:38 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Beautiful night at #durhambrass listening to @billryderjones.bsky.social play Iechyd Da with #nasuwtriversideband

16.07.2025 07:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Dawn over Haworth, West Yorkshire

Dawn over Haworth, West Yorkshire

The Tower, Steve Messam

The Tower, Steve Messam

Wool sculpture by Steve Messam

Wool sculpture by Steve Messam

Sunrise, wool, Haworth moor

Sunrise, wool, Haworth moor

First light above Haworth and a trip over the moors to see #wilduplands @bradford2025.co.uk #stevemessam #thetower

31.05.2025 06:17 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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First light at the Cow and Calf Rocks, Ilkley for the beginning of #thebradfordprogress @bradford2025.co.uk @paraorchestra.bsky.social @commonerschoir.bsky.social

17.05.2025 05:32 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Allotment early morning, Shipley, West Yorkshire.

10.05.2025 07:54 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Allotment, growing structures, greenhouse

Allotment, growing structures, greenhouse

Tulips and a tortoiseshell cat

Tulips and a tortoiseshell cat

Damson blossom

Damson blossom

Allotment evenings return at last along with the allotment cat, last seen in August last year.

06.04.2025 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
I Want More Disabled Rage
YouTube video by Dolly Sen I Want More Disabled Rage

I was commissioned by @dadafest.bsky.social to make a sculpture, and I made one out of charity collecting cans to spell out the word 'RAGE'. I made a film of me making the sculpture and reciting my poem 'We Need More Disabled Rage'

youtu.be/SoqqpvgFfFo?...

19.03.2025 07:37 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Stone building with light from windows from opposite building

Stone building with light from windows from opposite building

Reflected light, Stott Hill, Bradford

18.03.2025 17:15 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Image credit: Ruxx Naqvi (X @ruxxnaqvi)

Image credit: Ruxx Naqvi (X @ruxxnaqvi)

Image credit: Modern Mooch

Image credit: Modern Mooch

Image credit: LDRS

Image credit: LDRS

β˜•οΈ It's notoriously difficult to list or preserve the intangible heritage of caffs, so this an interesting curatorial alternative.

Fountains Coffee House & Grill in Bradford's Oastler Centre opened 1968, closed 2023. Now several original fixtures have gone on display at
@bradfordmuseums.bsky.social

13.03.2025 10:49 β€” πŸ‘ 62    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 5

Me too

10.03.2025 18:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Will dig them out. You’re local to me I think?

10.03.2025 18:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Took some photos in there just as Urban Splash started the reidential conversion.

10.03.2025 18:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks Lauren :)

08.02.2025 09:31 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Embroidered blue plaque: LOUISA PESEL 1870-1947 embroiderer and educator lived here

Embroidered blue plaque: LOUISA PESEL 1870-1947 embroiderer and educator lived here

Black and white photo of a group of artisan craftsmen

Black and white photo of a group of artisan craftsmen

2/2 I shared a Bradford project that explored the story of Louisa Pesel, embroiderer and educator, and her work during WW1 establishing the Belgian Institute in the city that provided craft workshops for Belgian refugees.

08.02.2025 09:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Sofie Verclyte - Migrating Heritage book about stitch projects in Shatila refugee camp

Sofie Verclyte - Migrating Heritage book about stitch projects in Shatila refugee camp

Herbs and spices on a flower patterned shawl during Red Star Line Museum sensory workshop about home/homesickness

Herbs and spices on a flower patterned shawl during Red Star Line Museum sensory workshop about home/homesickness

Gallery space with workshop participants at Amsab-ISH Ghent.

Gallery space with workshop participants at Amsab-ISH Ghent.

Museum sign propped against a wall at Museum Dr Guislain, Ghent

Museum sign propped against a wall at Museum Dr Guislain, Ghent

Inspiring week in Ghent working on the International Winter School Cultural Heritage & Wellbeing organised by #TOON and @bartdenil.bsky.social Projects supporting displaced people using creative health 1/2

08.02.2025 09:00 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Bradford District Museums & Galleries - Bradford and St Blaise This rather fascinating blog, written by our Assistant Curator, Lauren,Β  explores why Saint Blaise, an Armenian doctor and bishop from the 4th century, was

Happy #SaintBlaise Day! 200 years ago the largest St. Blaise celebration took place in #Bradford. This Bradford Museums blog I wrote a few years ago details the Blaise procession of 1825 . πŸ§ΆπŸ§΅πŸŽ‰

bradfordmuseums.org/bradford-and...

03.02.2025 07:13 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Honouring Bradford’s Textile Heritage: Our Role in Supplying Fabric for the Bradford City of Culture 2025 - William Halstead - The Finest Manufacturers of British Mohair With the opening of Bradford City of Culture 2025, William Halstead is excited to announce our involvement in "We Will Sing" by Ann Hamilton.

Okay, I’m biased but who wouldn’t love this… www.williamhalstead.co.uk/bradford-cit...

22.01.2025 13:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

One of my favourite emails of the year today - my PLR statement telling me the number of times my books were borrowed from public libraries in the last year. It makes me so happy to know that they are out there and still being read…

21.01.2025 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Cultures of Creative HealthJaneway-Logo-Final

Pleased to have contributed to the new Cultures of Creative Health book from @hudunipress.bsky.social edited by Rowan Bailey. I wrote about a project connecting Bradford groups to the work of embroiderer and educator Louisa Pesel (1870-1947).

13.01.2025 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Fantastic - really looking forward this. Congratulations June!

13.01.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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We Will Sing | Bradford 2025 Ann Hamilton transforms the immense top floor at Salts Mill for her largest solo UK installation to date

Excited to be able to share this bradford2025.co.uk/event/we-wil...

13.01.2025 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
RISE stage lit in purple, pink and blue and a large crowd

RISE stage lit in purple, pink and blue and a large crowd

Large crowd waiting for the RISE performance to begin

Large crowd waiting for the RISE performance to begin

Bradford City Hall lit up

Bradford City Hall lit up

Such a good start to Bradford’s #cityofculture year last night at RISE despite the freezing temperatures. A truly community centred piece of performance and I loved the way the architecture of the centre of the city played a part.

11.01.2025 09:37 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Snowy allotment plot

Snowy allotment plot

Greenhouse with roof covered in snow

Greenhouse with roof covered in snow

Very snowy allotment visit in Shipley W.Yorks this morning.

05.01.2025 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Happy new year June! Catch up soon x

01.01.2025 19:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0