During lockdown Lisa and Tracy, two members of the textiles group which used to run at Clarence House, kept themselves busy by creating pieces for an exhibition at the Thackray Museum about Lorina Bulwer.
Lorina was an inmate at Great Yarmouth Workhouse, where she was sent after her parents died and her siblings were unable to care for her. At the time she was classed as a “lunatic”, however looking back we can now understand that Lorina probably suffered from a mental health difficulty. She collected and sewed together bits of fabric and embroidered them with her thoughts and feelings. The Sew your Feelings project encouraged members of the public to do something similar with their thoughts and feelings on the lockdown.
Lorina’s scroll will be on display at the Thackray Museum once it re-opens, along with the creations from members of the public, including the pieces made by Lisa and Tracy which you can see below! You can find more information about Lorina and the exhibition here: https://www.thackrayhealthheroes.co.uk/thackray-stories/lorina-bulwer-highlighting-stitching-for-wellbeing
As well as the Thackray project, Lisa and Tracy also made masks for their friends and family, something they never thought they would be doing when they first joined the group! Tracy also shared photos with us of the beautiful blankets with intricate designs that she made as personal projects or gifts for friends and family.
A 2019 study commissioned by BBC Arts and BBC Learning found that creativity was beneficial to emotions and wellbeing, regardless of skill level or experience[i]. We hope Lisa and Tracy’s creations can inspire more people to get creative as a way to improve wellbeing this winter!
[i] https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/get-creative-research
Use the arrows to flick through the photo gallery.
