Connections: Sheep to Chanel

We follow the story of creative peole in the art, textile and fashion business in the mountainous North West of England. Cumbria is one the worlds most beautiful places. It has a low population density and is dominantly rural. But in this county historic cottage industries are being reinvented. The communities are connected to the land and the sheep that graze on the hills. Their wool, which was once a worthless commodity, has developed a new lease of life sparking creative industries that do exciting things with the product. This is a fascinating model of what can be achieved and could be the basis for further growth

Interactive Film

What sparked the film

This film has an odd beginning. A few days after moving into our house in Cumbria we were hit by a storm and the roof was wind damaged. A couple of builders working on a property down the road took pity on us. During their lunchtime breaks over a couple of days they came to our house and repaired the roof. They wanted no payment and did an excellent job. What a fantastic place the North West is, we thought. We cant repair a roof but we can make films, so by way of reparation we made this film. Its a not for profit gesture and our way of thanking the community. Links to those that took part is available below.

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Interactive Version

An interactive verion of this film is available which allows you to explore your own path through the story. It gives you sample examples of the techniques used in the art or craft, more films and some behind the scenes information. It provides links of locations and galleries where the work seen here is available.