Education ViVA

'Tis Death to Break a Frame - Inspiration visits
Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum and Pleasley Vale Mills, Bolsover
31 March, 1 April, 5-6 May 2011

This year's summer singing residency in Derby is based on the Luddites as 2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the Luddite Uprising. ViVA has commissioned librettist Hazel Gould and composer James Redwood to write a new piece exploring the Luddite Uprising. On Thursday 31 March, Friday 1 April, Thursday 5 May and Friday 6 May pupils from the six participating schools, Becket Primary School, Griffe Field Primary School, St Werburgh's Primary School, Walter Evans Primary School, Creswell Junior School and Glebe Junior School visited Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum or Pleasley Vale Mills in Bolsover to see how framework knitters would have lived and worked in both the cottage industry and in larger factory settings.

In the story of 'Tis Death to Break a Frame Billy is set to take over his grandfather's business who knits on a stocking frame in the cottage he rents from the factory on the hill. The cottage business is in decline and Billy is torn between carrying on his grandfather's work or moving with the times and getting a job at the factory.

At Ruddington the young people looked round the workers cottages and they discovered how the framework knitters would have lived and worked in the cottages. The participants also got to see a working knitting frame like the ones that Billy's grandfather would have used and the ones the Luddites would have broken.

The young people also had a chance to knit a scarf themselves using a circular knitting machine, which is more modern than the framework knitting machines. The circular machines were demonstrated and then the young people worked in pairs to knit a scarf using bright coloured yarn and the circular machine.

The schools from Bolsover District visited Pleasley Vale Mills in Derbyshire for their inspiration day. During the day the participants sang together in a huge disused mill, had a guided tour of the site, wrote some words with Hazel and sang some songs from the piece with James.

The visits to Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum and Pleasley Vale Mills immersed the participants in the history and story of 'Tis Death to Break a Frame and allowed them to make tangible links to the story of Billy and help visualise the words in the libretto. Memories of the visit will help inspire the young people throughout the project while they learn the songs with ViVA's Choral Advisor David Lawrence, create their song words with Hazel Gould and write their own song with James Redwood.

To find out more about Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum please visit their website.

’Tis Death to Break a Frame was run in partnership with Bolsover District Council, Derby City Council, Orchestras Live, Pleasley Vale Mills, Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum and sinfonia ViVA. The project was generously supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council, Bolsover District Council, Derby LIVE, Derbyshire County Council, English Heritage, Orchestras Live, sinfonia ViVA and Arts Council England.

Images from the project...