by Sarah Thompson
Photography by Caitlin Pharoah – Hummingbird Photography
Locals are invited to see progress and share stories at an interim exhibition in the town this
October.
The team behind a community project to uncover Bridport and West Dorset’s lost flax making heritage is inviting local people to see an exhibition about the project’s progress. Members of the Flax Forward project have been working with farmers, historians and makers
across the area, to uncover the lost craft of flax making and explore its potential as a sustainable material for the future.
Now they’re showing the community what the project has revealed so far, and asking for suggestions and help from people in the town.
David Dixon, Project Manager said: ‘Flax was once a defining part of West Dorset’s local economy, and shaped Bridport’s identity for over 1,000 years. Many of the buildings, names and landmarks we all know are rooted in the area’s flaxmaking past. But while Bridport’s hemp growing and rope-making histories have been well documented, the story of flax has been less widely known, until now.’
Dave said the project had brought together farmers, gardeners and volunteers who had grown and processed the flax in various locations, as well as teams from the Bridport Museum and Bridport Local History Centre and other volunteers and researchers who had been uncovering the stories, people and buildings behind the area’s flaxmaking past. Members of the Bridport School of Regenerative Fashion and local spinners have also been working to create flax fabric and to design and make a complete garment made from locally grown flax.
The exhibition, which takes place at Bridport Arts Centre’s Allsop Gallery from Saturday October 10 to Saturday October 24, will be a chance to see the progress of the project, and will include maps, documents, books, photos and personal stories about the plant and how it has impacted the local area. The exhibition is also an invitation to the community to join the project’s research Journey.
Dave said: ‘Visitors will have the opportunity to respond to our findings, ask further questions, and share their own stories and connections to the history of flax in Bridport.’ There will also be a chance to learn more about the flax processing techniques that farmers and volunteers have been using and a chance for visitors to try some of the processing methods themselves. Volunteers will be holding a flax processing showcase, demonstrating the various stages of processing flax at Oxenbury’s Yard in Gundry Lane from October 22nd to 24th. There will also be community conversation, poetry and live music performances taking place during this showcase.
Dave said: ‘Everyone is welcome to come along and see what the project is all about, to ask questions and to share suggestions.’
The Flax Forward project will culminate with a final exhibition, including the flax garment, taking place in 2027. A full programme of events is available here.
Flax Forward event details and events are available at:
About Flax Forward Partners
- Wessex Community Assets is a Bridport based social enterprise helping community-owned enterprises generate more resilient and adaptable societies, economies and environments.
- People love and value Bridport Museum; they are inspired and engaged by the stories we tell, helping them understand the significance of Bridport’s past, appreciate the present, and imagine the future.
- Bridport Arts Centre is a multi-arts venue presenting a year-round programme of music, film, theatre, dance, comedy, spoken word and exhibitions.
- The mission of the Bridport School of Regenerative Fashion is to grow and nurture sustainable and circular fashion and textiles in Bridport and West Dorset.
Flax Forward has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities. heritagefund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund
Further Information about Flax Forward please contact info@wessexca.co.uk