The Yorkshire Year of The Textile: A Review

The Yorkshire Year of the Textile (2016-2017) was conceived as a celebration of Yorkshire’s rich textile history. Based at the University of Leeds, the Arts Council England funded project united textile research from across the university campus and commissioned new, interdisciplinary work in a variety of creative fields. The project was led by Professor Ann Sumner, Public Art Project Officer for the University of Leeds and visiting professor of Fine Art. With wide curatorial experience, Sumner’s remit at the University of Leeds was to promote the extensive art collection held by the University both in the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery and sculptural work across the campus. Man-Made Fibres (1956) by Mitzi Cunliffe which was commissioned by the University of Leeds, became a research focus for Sumner and was the inspiration for the Yorkshire Year of the Textile.