Funds awarded to Paradise Mill and Macclesfield Silk Museum

Macclesfield’s Paradise Mill and Silk Museum have been awarded funding which will help secure the future of the town’s remarkable heritage in the production of silk.

Paradise Mill on Park Green, Macclesfield is home to Europe’s largest collection of Jacquard silk handlooms in their original setting. The whole interior of the third floor of Paradise Mill and the collections within it has been designated by Historic England. The Silk Museum is located next door and hosts a programme of displays and events exploring how silk shaped Macclesfield for over 300 years and its intriguing connection with Ancient Egypt. 

Macclesfield Museum has received £58K from the third round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund distributed by Arts Council England.

John Varney, Chairman of Silk Heritage Trust, said: “This is such great news for the Museum. Paradise Mill is the jewel in Macclesfield Museums’ visitor offer. With Europe’s largest collection of 18th century Jacquard silk hand looms, visitors comment on the special atmosphere, finding it untouched from the final day it was operated. The scale of the collection provides an immersive experience of the sounds, smell and feel of a now lost industry. We can now build on that visitor offer and create something really wonderful.”

And the good news continues with a special £27k fellowship, which has been awarded to curator Kathryn Warburton by the Headley Fellowship with Art Fund. The Fellowship will enable Kathryn to research and learn more about the twentieth century industrial machinery in The Silk Museum to ensure that the machines are conserved and cared for the future. Kathryn will uncover hidden stories relating to the machines’ industrial impact and the lives of the people who developed and used them. She will be developing an oral history programme; delivering a Discovery Day for the public about the machines and working with community groups to co-curate displays.

Eleven professionals working in museums around the UK have been awarded the fellowship to focus on research projects aiming to develop specialist knowledge around their public collections.

Jenny Waldman, Art Fund director says: “Supporting the development of curator’s skills and growing expertise in museums is key to deepening knowledge around UK collections and a core part of Art Fund’s charitable programme. The Headley Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for Museum professionals and we are excited to find out what new stories our Fellows will uncover through their projects.”

Janet Jackson, from Friends of Macclesfield Museums, added: “We are extremely grateful to our funders for their support and we are delighted that after a very difficult time during a global pandemic, we can now plan a future for the museum that will inspire our visitors and inform them about the incredible stories connected to Paradise Mill, The Silk Museum and indeed the town. The cultural offer in Macclesfield is really important to keep our high streets and town centres thriving and the museums play a big part in that.”