NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony at Manchester Jewish Museum

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
Photograph by Chris Payne

NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony at Manchester Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill 7 April — 9 May 2023 Tickets from £4.00 — Book now

The Manchester Jewish Museum presents NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony, a new exhibition from artists Sarah Lee and Laura Nathan.

Textiles have incredible narrative potential. Soft materials which are naturally close to our skin seem to absorb and carry our smell, sweat and experiences; while thread is perhaps more stable than a pencil line on paper, so is recording memories on quilts and linens. This was the starting point for Lee and Nathan, two textile artists who attempt to reconcile generational traumas and family history through textile works.

NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony combines textile, installation and sound pieces to explore the artists’ family history surrounding the Holocaust. During NARRATIVES, their collaborative six-month residency, both Lee and Nathan discovered that they have a shared family history of the Holocaust and Jewish heritage which resulted in a new body of work, culminating in the final exhibit.

Sarah Lee
Sarah Lee

Laura Nathan’s work often uses historical documents and family history as leading subject matter for the work, and even materials like fabrics passed down from previous generations. The symbolism of materials is purposeful and significant in her oeuvre. She often uses embroidery but as well as celebrating the handmade, Nathan often uses her work to promote well-being and encourage community engagement. At the exhibition, you’ll find a sound-based installation and textiles, the creation of which was aided by a large collection of family documents.

Sarah Lee’s work focuses on animals, architecture, history and literature, often realised in sketchbooks and textiles, on the go while travelling. For NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony she took inspiration from the museum’s stained-glass windows and architectural elements to create hand-embroidered pieces, led by her grandfather’s woodcarvings as a way of processing his wartime experiences.

The final show is a satisfying display of excellent handcraft resulting from the focus and hours which have gone into each piece.

NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony at Manchester Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill 7 April — 9 May 2023 Tickets from £4.00 Book now

Where to go near NARRATIVES: Threads and Testimony at Manchester Jewish Museum

Cheetham Hill
The Yard

New creative hub The Yard is home to a great little music venue, which tends to attract future-leaning electronic artists.

Manchester
Cinema
Cultplex

Billing itself as Manchester’s home of cult films, video games and cool nerd stuff, Cultplex is a small cinema offshoot of indie street food destination Grub Manchester.

Cheetham Hill
Restaurant
Osaka Local

Wonderful Japanese street food vendor, often found at Grub and other street food events in and around Manchester and the North.

tours and activities guide
Cheetham Hill
Manchester Three Rivers Gin Distillery

Join the Gin renaissance with Manchester Three Rivers, a gin distillery situated in the heart of the Green Quarter making some fantastic gin as well as inviting people to get up close to the distillation process.

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter, ran by the team behind the much-loved Grub,.

Salford
Bar or Pub
The Runaway Brewery

An exciting young Brewery on the Manchester scene, Runaway are creating a whole host of drinkable delights.

Manchester
Event venue
Partisan

Partisan is a Manchester-based collective and volunteer-run space for independent, community led, DIY and cultural based projects. They have two floors for events, meetings, office space, live music, club nights, and art.

Salford
Gallery
1520 Studios

1520 Studios is bigger than a film and photography studio, also functioning as an event space and community hub.

Popup Bikes
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Popup Bikes

Independently-run coffee shop and bike repair shop on the edge of the Green Quarter in Manchester.

What's on: Exhibitions

Wolf in Yellowstone
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
Wild at Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum explores the concept of ‘wild’ nature as a means of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis in a new exhibition.

free entry
Two people sitting playing a video game.
Until
ExhibitionsCity Centre
Art Plays Games at FACT

Art Plays Games is a new show at FACT, celebrating games created by digital artists and independent video game developers.

free entry

Culture Guides

A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

Sextile
Music in the North

The outsiders, the oddities and the outrageous – we’re keeping it weird with a hot new batch of underground gigs about to hit Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

A large sphere floats in a dark room with an ornate wall pattern, flanked by two arched windows and a checkered floor.
Exhibitions in the North

From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.