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
Pinned
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.
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.
October 11, 2025 at 12:25 PM
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.
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
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…..
The exhibition shows how clothing made for survival in extreme environments was later redefined for high street fashion and counter culture.
See…..
British Textile Biennial
britishtextilebiennial.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 2:43 PM
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…..
The exhibition shows how clothing made for survival in extreme environments was later redefined for high street fashion and counter culture.
See…..
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
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...
Reading 'V' - THE great northern poem of the last 50 years - at 13 years old blew my mind apart.
famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/tony_h...
V - Poem by Tony Harrison
famouspoetsandpoems.com
September 27, 2025 at 8:57 AM
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...
Reading 'V' - THE great northern poem of the last 50 years - at 13 years old blew my mind apart.
famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/tony_h...
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.
September 27, 2025 at 9:39 AM
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.
Beautiful night at #durhambrass listening to @billryderjones.bsky.social play Iechyd Da with #nasuwtriversideband
July 16, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Beautiful night at #durhambrass listening to @billryderjones.bsky.social play Iechyd Da with #nasuwtriversideband
First light above Haworth and a trip over the moors to see #wilduplands @bradford2025.co.uk #stevemessam #thetower
May 31, 2025 at 6:18 AM
First light above Haworth and a trip over the moors to see #wilduplands @bradford2025.co.uk #stevemessam #thetower
First light at the Cow and Calf Rocks, Ilkley for the beginning of #thebradfordprogress @bradford2025.co.uk @paraorchestra.bsky.social @commonerschoir.bsky.social
May 17, 2025 at 5:32 AM
First light at the Cow and Calf Rocks, Ilkley for the beginning of #thebradfordprogress @bradford2025.co.uk @paraorchestra.bsky.social @commonerschoir.bsky.social
Allotment early morning, Shipley, West Yorkshire.
May 10, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Allotment early morning, Shipley, West Yorkshire.
Allotment evenings return at last along with the allotment cat, last seen in August last year.
April 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Allotment evenings return at last along with the allotment cat, last seen in August last year.
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
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?...
youtu.be/SoqqpvgFfFo?...
I Want More Disabled Rage
YouTube video by Dolly Sen
youtu.be
March 19, 2025 at 7:37 AM
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?...
youtu.be/SoqqpvgFfFo?...
Reflected light, Stott Hill, Bradford
March 18, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reflected light, Stott Hill, Bradford
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
☕️ 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
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
March 13, 2025 at 10:49 AM
☕️ 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
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
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
February 8, 2025 at 9:01 AM
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
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
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 . 🧶🧵🎉
bradfordmuseums.org/bradford-and...
bradfordmuseums.org/bradford-and...
Bradford District Museums & Galleries - Bradford and St Blaise
This rather fascinating blog, written by our Assistant Curator, Lauren, explores why Saint Blaise, an Armenian doctor and bishop from the 4th century, was
bradfordmuseums.org
February 3, 2025 at 7:14 AM
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 . 🧶🧵🎉
bradfordmuseums.org/bradford-and...
bradfordmuseums.org/bradford-and...
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
Okay, I’m biased but who wouldn’t love this… www.williamhalstead.co.uk/bradford-cit...
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.
www.williamhalstead.co.uk
January 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Okay, I’m biased but who wouldn’t love this… www.williamhalstead.co.uk/bradford-cit...
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…
January 21, 2025 at 1:34 PM
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…
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).
Cultures of Creative HealthJaneway-Logo-Final
unipress.hud.ac.uk
January 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
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).
Reposted by Dr Claire Wellesley-Smith
Excited to be able to share this bradford2025.co.uk/event/we-wil...
We Will Sing | Bradford 2025
Ann Hamilton transforms the immense top floor at Salts Mill for her largest solo UK installation to date
bradford2025.co.uk
January 13, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Excited to be able to share this bradford2025.co.uk/event/we-wil...
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.
January 11, 2025 at 9:38 AM
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.
Very snowy allotment visit in Shipley W.Yorks this morning.
January 5, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Very snowy allotment visit in Shipley W.Yorks this morning.
Writing about madder root and post-industrial East Lancashire today with some grown at a project there and a Turkey red dyed handkerchief on my desk for inspiration. The area around Accrington was an important part of this industry in the mid 19th century #localcolour #textile
November 19, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Writing about madder root and post-industrial East Lancashire today with some grown at a project there and a Turkey red dyed handkerchief on my desk for inspiration. The area around Accrington was an important part of this industry in the mid 19th century #localcolour #textile
Autumnal gloom at the allotment this afternoon…
November 9, 2024 at 4:24 PM
Autumnal gloom at the allotment this afternoon…
Recording the last week through hand stitch. My stitch journal is a daily practice now in its 10th year. A way of reflecting and thinking through my making and research.
October 7, 2023 at 4:50 PM
Recording the last week through hand stitch. My stitch journal is a daily practice now in its 10th year. A way of reflecting and thinking through my making and research.