Touchlines explores the fragile and often unseen edges where care is expressed, negotiated and felt.
Taking its starting point from the sporting touchline — the boundary where play stops — the exhibition considers the many meanings of touch and connection. Through textile, artists explore ideas of intimacy, vulnerability, labour, repair and relationships: from the quiet care embedded in repetitive stitching and traditional techniques, to the point where cloth frays, splits or is mended.
Touchlines can be physical or emotional boundaries — places where we meet, connect, pull away or repair. Cloth becomes both a conduit for touch and a metaphor for human relationships, carrying stories of closeness, resilience and care.
The exhibition also connects with the heritage of Sunny Bank Mills, where sport played an important role in the lives of mill workers. Football and other sports provided opportunities for leisure, community and a shared sense of identity, bringing another meaning to the idea of the touchline.
