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Clackmannanshire Tapestry

Clackmannanshire Tapestry

To raise the profile of volunteering in Clackmannanshire, CTSI decided back in 2017 that it needed an event to focus on the role of volunteering and the value it was serving to the local area. Seeing an opportunity at the Speirs Centre (the county library and registrar office), where the soon-to-be archive room was still lying empty, Anthea Coulter, the new Chief Officer got in touch with the Great Tapestry of Scotland team to see if a visit to Alloa could be arranged and so at the end of May 2017, CTSI in partnership with Clackmannanshire Council brought the Great Tapestry of Scotland to the Speirs Centre, supported by the National Heritage Lottery.
CTSI engaged over 70 volunteers to man the event wearing their distinctive purple T-shirts for the first time. The exhibition brought hundreds of people to the town to visit and listen to the accompanying historical talks and attend workshops, as well as involving schools, and raised over £4000 for local charities.

Next Stitch to the Tapestries...

However, many of the volunteers and local visitors noticed that Clackmannanshire itself was not featured at all in the Tapestries and there was a call to right that wrong. Anthea got in touch with Andrew Crummy, the designer and he agreed  – and so evolved the new Clackmannanshire Tapestries. 
 
In 2019,  with the support again of the National Heritage Lottery, CTSI started a process on consulting with communities and local people through a Roadshow held at 13 venues on what should be depicted at the heart of the new Tapestries. From this local feedback and in agreement with Andrew, the story of the industries of Clackmannanshire came to life and hundreds of other ideas were put forward to include in the tapestries.
Next CTSI held events to encourage volunteer stitchers to come forward  –  and 38 women and one man formed the five new groups – the Brewers, Miners, Glassblowers, Weavers and Knitters. Just before lockdown in January 2019, the groups came together for their first ‘Blether’ at the Speirs to share their work, challenges and ideas.

Through 2020 the stitchers built friendships and passed the tapestry over the wall in gardens or at doorsteps. Alongside this work,  Susan Mills, a member of Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust helped coordinate a series of talks on the industries that would be included in the Tapestry.

The job of finding a permanent home for the Tapestry continued and when the proposed development of the derelict public toilet in Alloa started, the idea of bringing the Tapestry to into that space started to take shape. Now the Tapestry is at the heart of the new building and is the inspiration and historical starting point for people visiting the county, alongside offering active travel and other tourist information.

There are postcards, cards and a jigsaw now on sale as well as a beautiful Tapestry Handbook which includes historical chapters and more stories from the Tapestry itself. Alongside the Tapestry are ‘sensory supports’ to allow people who are disabled enjoy the content of the Tapestry.

The Clackmannanshire Tapestry is now one of 15 Tapestries across Scotland that make up the Scottish Tapestry Trail which can be all visited in public spaces.

The Scottish Tapestry Trail | The Great Tapestry of Scotland

To view the Tapestry and find out more please visit the Alloa Hub facebook page.

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