Latest News | 23 February 2021
Leading British artist teams up with Cromford Mills
A leading British artist has teamed up with Cromford Mills as part of an innovative arts project.
Hetain Patel has partnered with the historic venue, which is owned and managed by The Arkwright Society, in an initiative backed by Arts & Heritage.
Funded by Arts Council England, Arts & Heritage is a contemporary arts agency with a reputation for its innovative approach to forging relationships between artists and heritage sites.
Cromford Mills is one of four sites across the Midlands taking part in this round of its Meeting Point programme, all of whom will partner with artists to create new artworks.
Over the next year, Hetain will work with museum staff, volunteers and the local community to develop his ideas, before creating a response that will be displayed at the mill, for visitors to enjoy and engage with.
Hannah Steggles, head of heritage at Cromford Mills, said “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to develop skills in commissioning new contemporary art and we look forward to working with Hetain Patel immensely.
“The heritage of our site is a complex one and we are excited for Hetain to commemorate the forgotten stories of those connected to the mill’s history.
“We hope the medium of art will allow our audience to experience our heritage in a new way and we look forward to the fresh perspectives that working on this project will bring to us all.”
Hetain Patel works in multiple media and often asks big questions in his work around culture, identity and freedom.
He is the winner of the Film London Jarman Award 2019 and has been selected to take part in British Art Show 9, touring the country in 2021 and 2022.
He said: “I’m delighted to have been selected for this Meeting Point commission and look forward to working with the lovely team at Cromford Mills.
“I’m excited to be working with the site’s rich history and rethinking how we commemorate the forgotten people responsible for the success of Cromford Mills and the cotton industry, locally and globally.”
