Join our Threads of a City stitching sessions at the Whitworth: weekly Thursday evenings and fortnightly Sunday daytime sessions.

About the project

Threads of a City: The Manchester Tapestry Project is a citywide artwork celebrating the stories, people, and spirit of Manchester through collaborative textile design.

The aim of the project is to co-create 30 large tapestry panels celebrating the rich stories, histories and heritage of Greater Manchester. These stitching workshops mark the next stage of the project, following the Research and Design phases.

The next stage is for these panels to be stitched collaboratively, with participants being able to embroider simultaneously.

Workshop details

When: Thursdays 5-8pm, and fortnightly Sundays 1-4pm.

Further sessions will continue from January 2027, with new dates added to Eventbrite.

Where: The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER

Commitment: Attendance every week is not mandatory, but regular participation is strongly encouraged. Please note that this is a collaborative project and another stitcher may pick up where you left off the following week.

You’ll be provided with all the materials, tools and visual guides needed to embroider the design. There’ll be plenty of opportunity to practise stitches on scrap fabric before working on the tapestry itself, and workshop assistants will be on hand throughout to demonstrate techniques and answer any questions.

Whether you’ve stitched before and are a little rusty, are a complete beginner or an experienced embroiderer, you’re very welcome.

Hot drinks and biscuits will be available at each workshop.

Booking via Eventbrite is essential – there are limited spaces available in each workshop due to space constraints around each tapestry panel. Every person attending will need to have a ticket.

If you are no longer able to attend, please cancel your ticket to allow someone else to attend.

Weekly Monday daytime stitching workshops will also take place at the Manchester Histories Hub, Manchester Central Library. Book tickets here. (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/threads-of-a-city-the-manchester-tapestry-project-stitching-sessions-tickets-1999372426750?aff=oddtdtcreator&_gl=1*5vcrhq*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTEyMDI1MDk1OC4xNzg4MzU4ODcw*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3ODgzNTg4NjkkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODgzNTg4NjkkajYwJGwwJGgw)

Find out more

For more information about the Manchester Tapestry Project, including the Research and Design phases, the tapestry panels and what to expect from the stitching workshops, visit Manchester Histories website. (https://manchesterhistories.co.uk/events/threads-of-a-city-manchester-tapestry-project-stitching-workshops/)

Accessibility

The venue is fully accessible. To help us make this event as inclusive as possible, please contact us in advance regarding any specific access requirements or support needs by emailing info@manchesterhistories.co.uk.

Photography

We kindly ask that you don’t photograph the tapestry designs or completed panels, as we’re keeping them under wraps until the tapestry is unveiled as part of the Town Hall reopening on completion of the project.

Contact

Email: info@manchesterhistories.co.uk

Call: 0161 306 1982

Please get in touch if you have any queries.

Data Gathering

When registering for this event, we will ask some questions about your age, gender, ethnicity, disability, and postcode. This information helps us report back to our funders and better understand our audiences so we can ensure we reach as many people as possible now and in the future. All information is collected anonymously.

With Thanks to Our Supporters

Threads of a City: The Manchester Tapestry Project is generously supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, This is Us: Tracing Manchester's Histories project, Manchester Histories, The Whitworth, The Granada Foundation, Kimberleys Krafts, Manchester City Council, Behrens, Visage Textiles, Spinning Jenny, The Craft Cotton Co, and DeVere Yarns. We are grateful for their support in making this project possible.

Thanks to National Lottery Players.

Description supplied by the event organiser.