Silk Museum's Women's History Month Deemed Great Success

Throughout March, The Silk Museum has been a hive of activity with a vibrant programme of exhibitions, talks, and workshops designed to uncover the hidden stories of Macclesfield’s women.

The inaugural Women’s History Month programme has been a resounding success for the Park Lane site, welcoming hundreds of new and returning visitors.

The initiative was born directly from public feedback; Education Co-ordinator Natalie Lane explains: “Our consultation last year showed us that people wanted more community-focused events and real stories about everyday local figures. We took that on board used the feedback to shape this programme.”

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with high visitor numbers providing a clear blueprint for the Museum's future development. Natalie continues: “A real highlight was giving visitors the rare opportunity to see items from the collection that are normally kept behind locked doors. At various points, people were visibly moved or stunned by works of art from the Art School, beautiful historic clothing, and the intimate pages of Marianne Brocklehurst’s diary.”

Throughout the month, visitors were able to explore over 30 unique events including 3 special exhibitions: ‘The Three Annies’ produced by the Museum’s volunteer researchers the History Hunters; ‘Jacquard’; and ‘Unravelling in Paradise: Aimee Spilsted’.

Meanwhile, over 70 people enjoyed special talks on a range of different subjects from The Women of The Macclesfield School of Art, to Female Collectors, and Tales of Women in Chemistry and Protest. A further 80 people engaged in eight Special Guided Tours. Four of these took place in Paradise Mill while the remainder took the form of walking tours, guiding visitors to unique and interesting sites around the town.

In addition, there were seven hands-on workshops, where visitors were able to experiment with drawing, making zines, creating textile art, and Gelli plate printing. There were even two special Museum Tots sessions where kids explored Macclesfield Suffragists’ and the work of artists linked to the Art School. Families were also able to take part in a dedicated Museum Trail and drop-in for free craft activities inspired the illustrations of Annie Sutton.

Plus, the Museum delivered three school assemblies across Macclesfield, engaging pupils with the stories of inspiring local women from football legend Sue Whyatt to intrepid explorers Marianne Brocklehurst and Mary Booth.

And, yet more activities took place around the town, including a special screening of the film Suffragette at the Park Tavern and a poetry evening at the Cherry Blossom Bakery.

The Museum’s Director Dr Clare Harding has said “This has been such a fantastic month for the Museum. The high visitor turnout and enthusiastic feedback prove there’s a real appetite for this kind of local storytelling and diverse programming. The insights we’ve gained will be vital for our future planning as we look to deliver even more events like this.”  

Natalie adds “It has been a real team effort, and I would like to say a huge thank you to all the museum volunteers, staff and artists who have made the month such a success.” 

Some elements of the programme continue, and visitors can still explore the Jacquard exhibition until Saturday 25th April. 

The whole programme was kindly supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Macclesfield Town Council. The Silk Museum is part of The Silk Heritage Trust, an independent charity working to protect, share, and celebrate Macclesfield’s pioneering heritage, for the benefit of all.