Follow the Thread Exhibition – new dates added!

Crafting Conversations about Hull’s Flood Histories and Futures

Experience Hull’s watery history brought to life in textiles and sound. This exhibition showcases community responses to stories identified by the Risky Cities project from the city archive. These stories explore adapting to, and thriving alongside, water and flooding. Two communities in Boothferry and Cottingham have worked with Thread and Press and Life and Loom to offer creative responses, which draw together history, crafts and visions of our watery past, present and futures.

As well as free embroidered and hand woven textiles pieces, the exhibition also features a specially commissioned soundscape by The Broken Orchestra.

You may listen to The Broken Orchestra’s soundscape via this Soundcloud link.

The exhibition launched as part of the Freedom Festival, with exhibition space in Princes Quay, before visiting Hull Minster, The Deep, Cottingham Civic Hall, the HU4 Community Hub and the University of Hull Library.

The Freedom Festival

Princes Quay East Arcade, Hull HU1 2HL

Wednesday 31 August – Sunday 4 September 2022

Noon – 6pm

The Deep

First floor upper gallery, The Deep, Tower Street, HU1 4DP

Wednesday 7 – Saturday 10 September 2022

10am – 4pm (from 1pm on Weds 7th and closing at 2pm on Saturday 10th)

Cottingham Civic Hall

Market Green, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, HU16 5QG

Tuesday 13 September 2022

1.30pm – 4pm

HU4 Community Hub

Sibelius Road, HU4 7NH

Thursday 15 – Sat 17 September 2022

10am – 4pm

Hull Minster

Inside exhibition space in back left of Hull Minster, South Church Side, Hull HU1 1RR

Wednesday 21 – Sat 24 September 2022

10am – 4pm (from 1pm on Wednesday 21st)

University of Hull Library

Cottingham Road Campus, Hull HU6 7RX

Wednesday 28 September – Sat 1 October 2022

noon – 6pm

University of Hull Middleton Hall lobby

Cottingham Road Campus, Hull HU6 7RX

Monday 10 – Wednesday 12 October 2022

9am – 5pm

Thank you to all our participants from communities in Boothferry and Cottingham.

A group of workshop participants try weaving inspired by stories of Hull's floods
A group of community participants try weaving, as part of a Risky Cities workshop on Hull’s flood histories Image by Anete Sooda

Follow the Thread Audio Description

An audio descriptive guide by Mind’s Eye Description provides audio for all the text in the exhibition and descriptions of the textile artworks created by the communities working with Risky Cities.

Track 1 – Introduction and list of contents
Track 2 – Risky Cities project context
Track 3 – Follow the Thread exhibition context
Track 4 – Hull’s History
Track 5 – Community
Track 6 – Flood Resilience
Track 7 – About the Soundscape
Track 8 – Description of the Embroidered Hoops
Track 9 – Description of the Woven Artefacts
Track 10 – Facts and Quotes
Track 11 – Credits

Exhibition and Workshop images

  • Embroidered artwork created by community workshop participants
  • A group of workshop participants try weaving inspired by stories of Hull's floods
    A community workshop ran by Thread and Loom and the Risky Cities Team Photo: Anete Sooda
  • Embroidered artwork created by community workshop participants
  • A community participant working on textile responses to the Risky Cities workshop around flooding and living with water