Souvenirs from Home - Football Clubs & Craft Industries

Souvenirs from Home brings together work produced in the three-year touring project ‘Home Ground’. An exhibition and workshops travelled to six towns across the UK whose football clubs have nicknames linked to their traditional craft industries: these are Sheffield United (The Blades), Crystal Palace (The Glaziers), Stoke City (The Potters), Luton Town (The Hatters), Macclesfield Town (The Silkmen) and Walsall (The Saddlers). Work on display is made by local communities and club supporters who worked alongside selected artists. Zoe Hillyard helped The Silkmen supporters design unique decorated team shirts; Sheffield artist Philip Hardaker taught local girl’s football clubs and senior Blades supporters to make ‘pie plate’ medals using traditional metalworking techniques. The Glazers supporters inspired workshops where participants created stained glass souvenirs celebrating the club’s history. Melanie Tomlinson’s gilded football boots are inspired by The Saddlers and narratives of the town's leatherwork heritage. The main gallery showcases the very different results of each collaboration between participant and partner organisation. Souvenirs from Home gives us a sense of place and identity in using two uniting passions which have their roots buried deep in the British psyche; craft industry and sport. Main gallery, open daily 10am-5.30pm. FREE ENTRY www.crafts.org.uk 01626 832223