gawthorpe textiles collection
Gawthorpe Textiles Collection (GTC) is the operating name of independent museum
and registered charity The Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth Textile Collections. Since
its establishment in 1959, the charity has existed to deliver its powerful
founding vision focused on education, public access to the collection for all
and the promotion of wellbeing. The aims and purposes of the charity have never
been more relevant as the country faces the challenges created by the Covid-19
pandemic. GTC operates from the Gawthorpe Hall estate in Padiham, Lancashire;
family home to founder Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth MBE (1886- 1967), a life long
collector of global textile and craft items. Rachel was a prolific lace maker
and embroiderer. She was also a philanthropist who devoted her life to actively
improving the social welfare of the communities on her doorstep. The charity’s
long term ambition is to work in partnership to realise Rachel's vision of
creating a craft house, a centre of excellence for learning in textiles. As the
only dedicated textile collection of its size and variety in Lancashire, the
collection which stands at over 30,000 pieces of global provenance, is a truly
remarkable resource. It is one of the most diverse, interesting and
encyclopaedic textile collections in the UK and is known to specialists
worldwide. In a digital age which is seeing a strong resurgence in the value of
hand crafts, GTC champions traditional craft skills, celebrates creativity and
delivers programmes of activity which have profound and positive life changing
effects on individuals’ mental wellbeing and life skills, promoting a sense of
community - all through participation in craft. Key activities undertaken by the
charity fall into two strands; management and care of the collection including
research, documentation, acquisition, interpretation and conservation. Secondly,
sharing the collection with the public; catering to a broad range of ages,
cultural backgrounds and skill levels. This includes delivering historic and
contemporary exhibitions, artist collaborations, workshops, talks, tours,
research and study visits, as well as outreach in the local community through
Valley Street Textiles Studio (a joint initiative with Calico Homes).
