Exploring Sensory Themes Through Contemporary Art: Synthesis Unit Project (Manchester School of Art: MA Textiles)
For my synthesis unit, I’m embarking on a project centred around a contemporary sensory theme that aims to create a meaningful and immersive experience for adults with learning disabilities.
This project reflects my passion for exploring the concept of synaesthesia—how our senses can blend and influence our perception of the world—and integrates it with historical narratives tied to the Industrial Revolution and the cotton industry’s impact on the local landscape.
My work will delve into the rise and fall of the cotton mills, the steam engine’s role in mechanisation, and the eventual decline of the textile industry. I plan to capture these transformations and their lasting effects through a variety of artistic formats. From textiles and bookbinding to printmaking and poetry, I will develop a visual narrative that weaves together history and sensory exploration. I’m also excited to integrate dialect and audio/visual production to enhance the immersive experience.
Past projects have provided me with a wealth of research and samples, and I’m now focusing on the design and development stages. This project will be built around sensory, developmental, and enriching elements that aim to engage young people and adults with learning disabilities, offering them an artistic experience that stimulates the senses and encourages exploration.
I’m looking forward to sharing more of this journey as the project unfolds!
#Sensory #Textiles #TextileIndustry #IndustrialRevolution
Rachel Bakewell 