LITE PROJECT

CEAL

LITE Project

“A heritage project aimed at documenting the heritage of textiles
the textiles manufacturing industry over the past 60 years”

Projects Get involved

THE LEGACY oF INDUSTRIAL TEXTILES ENTERPRISES (LITE) PROJECT

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The LITE project was an heritage project that aimed to record, capture, interpret, and disseminate the contributions of mainly South Asian and African and Caribbean backgrounds to textiles manufacturing heritage over the past 60 years from areas in Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

Exhibition Launch Report

Services

Projects

Contact

A HERITAGE PROJECT

Share Stories, Learn New Skills, Volunteer & Make History.

We will also capture oral stories of former textile manufacturers and employers whose involvement in this industrial heritage sector was just as important. Their business journeys will be captured via interview questions such as what life was like, their success, challenges and what did they do once the textile sector started to fade out? What are they doing now?

The post-war contribution of many communities to the textiles industry has not been recorded, preserved, archived or become widely celebrated.

lite project

PROJECT GOALS

WHY THE PROJECT was CREATED

To make a significant contribution to the public understanding of textiles heritage.

To share the findings of oral interviews.

Fill obvious gaps in our knowledge of the West Midlands textiles heritage.

A GROUNDBREAKING

PROJECT

This was one of our groundbreaking projects and involved, inter-generational Interviews from different ethnic backgrounds, former Textile Employer’s Interviews, Publication production, Digitisation of artifacts, Heritage textile skills training and development and touring exhibition in Birmingham, Sandwell, and Wolverhampton.

LAUNCH EVENT

Among speakers at our launch-event were:

Professor Monder Ram OBE of Birmingham University, who spoke of his personal involvement in the industry, during his formative years. “CEAL’s capture of this important history, is a recognition of the value-add minorities have brought to this sector”.

Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) West Midlands Committee and former BBC presenter, Sue Beardsmore, referred to the ongoing investment by the HLF into successful heritage projects in the West Midlands, emphasising continued support to projects such as the LITE.

Raj Sirpal, a former textiles manufacturer, gave a personal account of his involvement in the clothing production trade. He touched on the resilient strategies that were used to counter the negative impact of the economic recession during the 1980s and 1990s and later, that affected textiles manufacturing and other industries, at the time.

TRAINING

FIELD WORKERS & VOLUNTEERS

OUTREACH EVENTS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Our briefing at the Shri Dasmesh Temple (Gurdwara) in Lozells, Birmingham. We briefed up to 95 members of the congregants on the day. 3 former textiles workers plus employers volunteered to be interviewed. They all aired the same feeling and expressed how invaluable the LITE project was to the social, cultural and economic heritage history of the Exhibition/ project planning with new partners and other local organisations..

RESEARCH

LOOKING BACK

This is the outside of Mr Raindi’s factory in 1980s. Mr Raindi was known as the king of the textiles in Smethwick. “I supplied to big high stores like Marks and Spensers and had up to 400 people working for me”. Mr Raindi was featured in the Home Front, a book published by Birmingham City Council in 1984. 1970’s style pattern, as part of our digitisation collection.

LEARNING NEW SKILLS

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

The LITE project went from strength to strength and some of the important interviews are already underway with former textiles employers and employees. Amazing pictures from our community textile workshops in Birmingham.