Havant’s glove making industry heritage explored by artist in new exhibition at The Spring

AN EXHIBITION inspired by Havant’s glove making history has launched in the town’s arts centre.
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The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre’s new show, ‘The Hand That Makes The Glove’, tells the story of the Stent’s factory in Havant, which closed its doors in 1960.

Having opened last week, the free exhibition will celebrate local heritage and bring to life the legacy of the glove making industry in Havant with a special installation using material and techniques inspired by the factory.

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Working in collaboration with Brighton-based artist Helen Peters, the exhibition has been heavily influenced by stories and photographs from the local community who have contributed their own memories and experiences of the factory.

Soft sculpture at the exhibition. Picture: Emily TurnerSoft sculpture at the exhibition. Picture: Emily Turner
Soft sculpture at the exhibition. Picture: Emily Turner
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Helen used these to help paint a picture of factory life and reflect what this meant to workers, their families and the wider Havant community.

She works to visualise emotion, memory and identity through the materials and processes she uses in her sculptures and wall hangings.

To create her wall installation for The Spring, Helen used a range of vintage gloves and threads and combined these with an ink stamp which would have been similar to what was used in the factory to mark the inside of gloves.

The Hand That Makes The Glove show is now open. Picture: Emily TurnerThe Hand That Makes The Glove show is now open. Picture: Emily Turner
The Hand That Makes The Glove show is now open. Picture: Emily Turner
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Helen said: ‘It was clear from reading the stories of local people that the impact of the factory has transcended generations and provided lots of vital employment opportunities, especially for women.

‘Though the glove making process itself was often repetitive and even dangerous at times, what stood out was the positive side to factory life, with social elements and a community feel among workers and their families.’

The artist wanted to recreate a sense of the factory floor through her work and honoured past employees by incorporating the names of some of the workers.

The project is part of The Spring’s Creative Intervention Programme, which invites artists to create exhibitions or experiences inspired by heritage collections and stories.

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One of the stories that stood out for Helen was of a local girl who used to meet her father at the factory everyday after school and had kept a sentimental soft toy made from scraps of material from the factory floor.

The exhibition will be on display in the Mezzanine Gallery until March 26.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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