Waymark applied to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council for some funding for a project idea. Something that we had always wanted to do – celebrate the Tape Weaving heritage industry of Cheadle in Staffordshire. The main street running through town is called Tape Street, but those with knowledge of why the street is so-called are becoming fewer. Someone from Cheadle Historical Society gave me a quick history chat during a sketching event, and I was fascinated. From there I started to realise that those with first hand knowledge of the Mills were getting old and soon their stories would be lost. So we applied for funding to run an exploration project with local children. Together with the children we became historians and considered the impact of the tape mills, and their loss, on the town. We thought about working conditions over the centuries of this industry. The children helped research their heritage and posed some interesting questions, and we tracked down some primary sources who could answer their questions from first hand knowledge.
The sessions we ran with the children in local primary schools included:
– Exploring local heritage – the dominance of the tape mills in the area
– Working as a historian – asking suitable questions of primary sources (including family members).
– Considering the development of health and safety and working conditions through the centuries.
– Invention and evolution – from the investment in mechanisation to the impact of the Mill closures on the local area.
– Understanding processes and mechanisation – BFI archive video and a tape weaving activity.
– Connecting the dots – Jacquard cards in loom mechanisation and as the forerunner to computing technology – including an art activity designing a Jacquard card.
What was so joyous about this project was that the children took their exploration beyond the classroom. It was lovely to hear the stories of family members connected to the Mills and the samples brought in by the children. That is the best evidence that children engaged with the project and have connected more deeply with their heritage!
So this site is to keep all the findings safe and shareable while we approach the next step which is to apply for funding for an art installation in Cheadle to interpret this element of the town’s history.
We are grateful to the SMDC for the UKSPF funding for this project.
This site was generously built by Steve Wood.