Rosie explains how she co-created the textile installation with a group from Moorclose Community Centre.

‘All of US, Together’ was created as a collaboration between Moorclose Community centre and artist Rosie Galloway-Smith through a series of workshops with a group that included a wide range of community members.

Rosie collaborated with Angela Good at the centre to plan and deliver this. She discussed the idea of precious objects and memories with the group, reflecting on her own recent experiences of sorting through her parents’ belongings as their house was sold.

Community members brought in photos and objects that had significance to them and then made simple line drawings of them. At home in her studio Rosie vectorised the drawings and turned them into digital patterns that were digitally printed onto fabric.

Dresses were the chosen garment to be made from the fabric by Rosie as they are a signature motif in her work, representing the human figure as well as playing with the idea of wearing your thoughts and feelings on your clothing for the world to see.

The four dresses represent the gradual loss of memories that happens with dementia and asks the viewer to consider what the experience means for the sufferer and their loved ones, as experienced by Rosie and members of the community group. This experience is often a lonely and distressful one that isn’t often shared in public but is increasingly common.

Rosie introduces her own artistic response, a pair of paintings.

Rosie’s paintings are based on photos taken of objects belonging to the group, including Rosie’s and are an attempt to  use everyday worn items to illustrate what we have in common and what daily experiences we share with each other. They are painted using acrylic on canvas and will be an ongoing part of Cumberland Council’s art collection.