Knitted Lives – project and touring exhibition
Partners: Age Concern Newcastle, Quality of Life Partnership
Knitted Lives gave 40 women between the ages of 60 and 93 the opportunity to work with Fiona Rutherford and Jenny Burns, textile artists, and writer Carol McGuigan. Over a year the knitters produced a total of 125 three-dimensional knitted objects representing stories from their lives. A selection of the work was shown in the window of the John Lewis shop in Newcastle’s Eldon Square before the full exhibition opened at the Alnwick Garden for the Easter holiday 2009.
The exhibition then toured six venues throughout the region and was seen by over 40,000 at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show. The project was featured in Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and received an incredibly positive response.
"An unexpected total surprise – one of the loveliest exhibitions I’ve seen – it brought a real smile to my face and even my teenage boys were impressed."
Visitor to the exhibition
"A fantastic experience for older people to contribute their expertise and experiences in a creative, empowering and supportive project."
Fran O’Brien, Quality of Life Partnership
