The Preston Lockouts - Reappropriating Cultural Memories. Using animation as a method of reframing and repositioning historical events.

Abstract

Preston was a central combat zone of Industrial unrest in 1853 - 1854. The mill workers went on strike for 10 % more money . The surrounding mills paid, but Preston’s mill owners refused. When the mill workers went on strike, they locked the mills. This was the beginning of a long drawn out dispute between the Preston mill owners and the workers called ‘The Preston Lockouts.

A series of drawings was found in the Lancashire Archives in the scrap books of cotton manufacturer, Henry Ashworth (who was bitterly opposed to the strike) and George Cowell, (who led the weavers during the strike). I have used these drawings to create a short animation to give a new perspective to this event. This short film will be used as a taster to apply for funding to make a longer film that goes into more depth based on these drawings and bring to life this event through these cultural artefacts.