FLEETWOOD 1841

Fleetwood 1841 was commissioned by Fleetwood Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) Cultural Consortium, a group of local arts and heritage organisations led by Fleetwood Museum.

This artwork was created in response to Fleetwood’s 1841 Census and is now being enjoyed as an educational resource to inspire others to explore the town’s heritage. The doll’s house was used as a foundation to the work because it is similar in style to the original Customs House (now the Fleetwood Museum) built in 1836, one of the first buildings to be completed in the town. The exterior represents Fleetwood as a whole that in 1841 was newly designed and under construction. The interior is filled with symbolic objects representing the people and their professions listed in the census i.e. a tomato to represent the grocers, a paintbrush to represent the painters, a saw handle to represent the sawyers and a shoe to represent the shoemakers/cordwainers.

Image Credit: Jill Reidy

Kate was great to work with – organised with a clear process and direction, very creative and with strong ideas but also collaborative and open to other suggestions. The interactive artwork that was produced is simply stunning and met the artist’s brief and then some! It has received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response and has already become a great tool to engage different audiences.

Ben Whittaker

Museum Manager

This [artwork] has helped to make Fleetwood’s unique heritage appealing and accessible to people of all ages – turning the 1841 census data into a work of art that takes the form of a doll’s house. This fascinating object sparks curiosity with everyone who encounters it! Kate has created meaningful ways into exploring the past by creating exciting ways into exploring creativity in the present.