A STRIKING dress, designed using artwork created by Tameside students as part of a Black History Month project, will soon go on public display at Portland Basin Museum.
The unique piece is the culmination of Common Strands 2, a project launched last October to help young people explore the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade through local history, art and design.
Students from Dixons Ashton Academy in Ashton-under-Lyne recently completed the programme and were presented with their Arts Award Discover certificates by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Helen Bowden, during a celebration at the school.
The initiative, delivered by Tameside Council’s Cultural Services, brought together historian Agnes Fough and artist and designer Rachel Wood to explore the borough’s links with the cotton industry and its connections to the transatlantic slave trade.
The project began with visits to Portland Basin Museum, where students examined objects from the museum’s collections and learned about Tameside’s industrial past.
Using what they had discovered, the pupils developed printmaking techniques under Rachel Wood’s guidance, producing artwork inspired by their learning. Elements of those designs were then transformed into digital fabric prints before dressmaker Flora Danso created the finished garment.
The completed dress takes its inspiration from a 1930s Cotton Queen dress in Portland Basin Museum’s collection, reflecting an era when cotton mills dominated much of Tameside’s landscape.
Students saw the finished dress unveiled for the first time during the certificate presentation ceremony.
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, Councillor Leanne Feeley, said: “It’s delightful for the students to be presented with their well-deserved Arts Award certificates. It’s great to see their enthusiasm for this project and to hear their commitment to anti-racism through the pledges they made.
“It is to the credit of Dixons Academy and the ‘Common Strands’ project that participating pupils showed a strong commitment to promoting understanding of the impacts of slavery and making a positive contribution to their community in Tameside.”
Dean Chadwick, Dixons Ashton Academy’s Enrichment Lead, added: “This project has provided our students with an incredible opportunity to work creatively with Tameside Cultural Services whilst exploring important aspects of local history and identity. Throughout the process they have shown maturity, creativity, and pride in their work, and we are immensely proud to see their achievements celebrated through this event.”
The dress will go on display from July 28, where visitors will be able to see the students’ work brought to life. The museum is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.