Threads of Labour: Tapestry of an ex-industrial West Yorkshire community

A Leeds Beckett Cultural Conversation

In Threads of Labour, Lisa draws on personal and communal histories to examine the socio-cultural impact of industrial decline in Bailiff Bridge following the closure of Firths Carpets. Through a collaborative art-based project, the book explores how textile heritage and creative practice can foster social renewal where state interventions have failed. Combining archival imagery with ethnographic interviews, it illuminates the enduring significance of collective memory and the dignity of labour. This interdisciplinary study offers a compelling model for reimagining post-industrial healing and repair.