National Festival of Making | Artist in Residence
Margo Selby is one of four artists announced as artists-in-residence for the 2024 Art in Manufacturing, the headline commissioning program of the National Festival of Making and British Textile Biennial.
The initiative pairs artists with industry-leading manufacturers in Lancashire, in Margo’s case Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster.
Established in 1924, Standfast & Barracks has an impressive heritage in textile printing with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lancaster. During her residency, Margo delves into their rich history and modernised manufacturing processes, collaborating with their staff and using their facilities to create a large-scale, site-specific artwork. This piece will be showcased at the National Festival of Making on July 6 and 7.
The completed textile artwork, to be installed in the North Transept of Blackburn Cathedral, is to be accompanied by a sound piece made in collaboration with composer-artist Peter Coyte, creating an immersive experience of form, colour and sound.
Elena Jackson, Curator of the Art in Manufacturing programme and Co-Director of the National Festival of Making, said: “I am always blown away by the standard of proposals that we get from artists to take part in Art in Manufacturing. We know that being able to work in and with the expert teams in each factory is a unique and valuable opportunity for artists, offering them more than just a chance to create new work. By being able to collaborate with a highly skilled manufacturing workforce, there is a mutual sharing of talents, of experience, and of knowledge that results in exciting installations only possible because of these inspirational partnerships that span art and industry. This year’s artists and manufacturers bring their own contrasting specialisms and backgrounds to the programme and we can’t wait to see the results.”
ARTISTS TALK | July 7, 2024