Definitions

Below are some working definitions in line with the scoping of my project.

Greater Manchester

Formed in April 1974 under the Local Government Act, Greater Manchester comprises 10 boroughs: Bury, Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.

For the purposes of this study, Greater Manchester will be used as a geographical boundary, based on the 1970s shrinking of the Lancashire region and the perceptions of industry decline during this time. This boundary will impact archival research and case studies and  in line with SIMs visitor profiles and target areas, GM provides relevant scope in curatorial practice.

_{Greater Manchester Map}

Mancunian

Rather than simply a physical boundary, this definition relies on creative and place-based environs (Walker et al., 2018) and its connection to the identities of the region’s practitioners within clusters.

For the purposes of this research, Mancunian will be used to describe designer-makers and manufactures working within the 10 boroughs of GM or with inherent ties to the region as a creative, place-based ecology, through their practices and histories. This definition may shift in response to interviews and case studies.

Resilience

The ability of a firm/practitioner to respond to changing textile environment through adaptation, merging or collaboration and retain their identity or position.

Narrative

Narrative relates to an environment or setting that is created through the integration of objects and stories with contemporary GM and its citizens. Narrative is seen here as a construction that is open to contestation and creativity in the museum setting and is fluid as it develops (MacLeod et al., 2012).

 Innovative

In the material sense, innovation here simply means the practical implementation of new methods or ideas that results in new goods or services. Innovative practices will be explored more in relation to adaptive, responsive and creative approaches to change in environment in this project. Results may include improved or more appropriate goods and services in line with new environments or may be evidencing in the merging of specialist practices to remain resilient.

Industry

Sectors of specialised skill that use practices relevant to their field to produce outcomes in manufacture at any scale. E. g textile industry – mills/factories/individual weavers

_{John Hetherington & Sons’ textile machinery works on Pollard Street, Ancoats, 1896. From Science and Industry Museum blog: ‘From Cotton to Cool’, documenting the changing industries of Ancoats
https://blog.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/ancoats-from-cotton-to-cool/}

MacLeod, S., Hanks, L. H. and Hale, J. (2012) Museum Making : Narratives, Architectures, Exhibitions. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis.

Walker, S., Evans, M., Cassidy, T. P. o. d., Jung, J. and Holroyd, A. T. (2018) Design roots : culturally significant designs, products and practices. London, UK ;: Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.