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Join The Group Wash - Monday 19th October at 11am

on October 19, 2020

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Introductions

Hello there! Come on in and have a look around. My name's Shonagh and I'm an artist from Bolton, Lancashire, where I live with three kids and a never ending pile of washing. Which is part of the reason I am so excited to be one of six artists commissioned by Quiet Down There to collaborate with laundrette staff and customers to tell the stories of these everyday amazing places. Washing, and dirty laundry, has been kinda my thing for the last few years. It might seem like a strange focus for an art practice but I'm really interested in what it can reveal about social class and gender, and for me it's the things we take for granted as ordinary that tell us the most about ourselves. In 2018 I interviewed a group of women about the most precious thing they cleaned and the resulting stories were beautiful descriptions of love demonstrated through everyday acts of care. The artwork I created in response is currently on display in the Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston,

Service With A Smile

Following on from my laundrette visits, I've been thinking about the 'above and beyond' services they offer that will never appear on any price list - a listening ear, a friendly smile, an engaging conversation, a place to meet, a space for connection... I've been reading about Kitty Wilkinson, after whom the amazing Kitty's Laundrette in Liverpool is named, who really embodied this spirit of care. During the cholera epidemic of 1832 Kitty had the only boiler in the neighbourhood, and so she invited her neighbours to use it to wash their clothes and linens, saving many lives. This was the first public washhouse in Liverpool, and ten years later the 'Saint of the Slums' was put in charge of the first combined washhouse and public baths in the UK. A marble statue of Kitty Wilkinson now sits in St George's Hall in Liverpool. While we were in the North East last week I was using the self service laundrette on the caravan park and it struck me how different

Hollywood Spin

Let me start by saying I don't actually plan family holidays around the location of particular laundrettes... but while we happened to be in the North East last week I took the opportunity to visit The Old Cinema in Durham, as recommended by Diane from the laundrette in Wheelton. Luckily The Old Cinema is part laundrette, part coffee shop so I was able to bribe the kids with a hot chocolate while I nattered to the staff and swooned over the vintage decor. As the name suggests this laundrette is located in a 1920's cinema which closed its doors to movie goers in 1958, and the retro chic of the laundrette showcases that cinematic history (each washing machine is dedicated to a classic movie star icon) alongside a fabulous selection of vintage washing advertising. As well as offering laundry services and a coffee shop/bar, The Old Cinema also hosts gigs and other performances - as evidenced by the piano in the corner! The team say that the cinema was a big part of local history an

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