The Future Was Always Here: British Textile Biennial 2025
The British Textile Biennial 2025 transformed historic Lancashire spaces once tied to the cotton industry into showcases of contemporary innovation in textile production. Artists and makers celebrated both the legacy and the rebirth of this industrial region.
Queen Street Mill: Weaving the Future
The first stop was Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, the last remaining steam-powered weaving mill from the 19th century. Its vast weaving shed, seen in productions like Life on Mars and Peterloo, hosted Tim Smith’s powerful installation Weaving the Future. Enormous photographs printed on cloth hung above the looms, capturing 21st-century breakthroughs in textile design.
In a film projected onto muslin, Smith joined forces with the Balbir Singh Dance Company to explore the intersection of analogue craftsmanship and digital technology. This collaboration created an evocative bridge between industrial memory and modern innovation.
Pioneers of the Material World
At Towneley Hall, the exhibition Pioneers of the Material World revealed how Burnley’s textile achievements supported iconic figures like Edmund Hillary and Amelia Earhart. Artist and designer Aitor Throup wittily referred to another local legacy — “the well-dressed Burnley FC hooligans.”
“He silenced naysayers when, in 1923, he created a wind and water resistant textile known as Grenfell cloth,” said Eric Taylor’s granddaughter.
This story unfolded inside a remarkable Arts & Crafts building, once home to cotton manufacturer William Haworth, embodying both the artistry and endurance of Britain’s textile history.
Author’s Summary
The 2025 British Textile Biennial intertwines industrial heritage with modern artistry, revealing how textile innovation continues to shape both culture and identity in the North of England.