Stories in Stitches – The Bramley Baths Banner Club

Join artist and textile practitioner Elnaz Yazdani for a special five-week creative heritage project exploring the history of banners, community, celebration and collective making.

Banners have long been used by communities to tell their stories, celebrate their identity and make their voices heard. From trade union and workers’ banners to suffrage campaigns, parades, political movements and local celebrations, these colourful textiles offer a fascinating window into the people, places and causes that have shaped our communities.

Across this project, we’ll explore the history of banners within working-class communities, alongside stories from Bramley’s own past. We’ll look at the people who have lived, worked and campaigned in the area, including Bramley-born suffragette and campaigner Mary Gawthorpe, who was involved in the making of suffrage banners.

We’ll also uncover stories connected to Bramley Baths itself, including the women and families who have used the Baths over its 120-year history, the role it has played as a place for health, leisure and community life, and the many people who have helped make it the much-loved building it is today.

Across the five sessions, you’ll work together to design and create a brand-new Bramley Baths banner. Drawing on local memories, stories, photographs, symbols and ideas, the finished banner will become a visual representation of the Baths’ heritage, its community and its future.

Expect colourful textiles, creative experimentation and plenty of hands-on making. You don’t need any previous experience with embroidery or textiles — just come along, share your ideas and help create something that belongs to Bramley Baths and the people who use it.

Five weekly sessions | All materials provided | No previous experience needed

Elnaz Yazdani is an embroidery artist, educator and gardener based in Yorkshire. Her practice explores how traditional embroidery can be transformed through unusual materials, inspired by industry, nature and community.

Elnaz works with community groups, schools and organisations, using embroidery as a tool for creativity, connection and wellbeing. She was awarded an MA by Research in 2025 for her work exploring how embroidery can connect, embellish and transform communities.