The Dundee Tapestry: A Stitched Story of the City of Discovery

BY KYLA YLANAN

As charming as St Andrews always is with its quaint high street, three beaches, and high ratio of pubs to people, one does find oneself, from time to time, missing the bustle of a city. Introducing Dundee – a city that is only a twenty-minute, give or take, bus ride from St Andrews. Some may argue that Dundee is an unassuming place however The Dundee Tapestry at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) suggest otherwise as these stitched depictions capture the city’s ‘industrial heritage, creative achievements, biodiversity and people’. 

Located in the upper foyer of the V&A Dundee are thirty-five panels hand-stitched by over 140 volunteers from the city and the surrounding area, with six stitchers being from the Isle of Mull. However, the locality of the volunteer stitchers was the lynchpin of this project as the Deacon of the Weaver Incorporation of Dundee, John Fyffe MBE, highlighted that the centre of this project was the aim of depicting Dundee through ‘the eyes of Dundonians’, harbouring a relationship between the locals and the artwork.

To form a coherent story of the ‘City of Discovery’, the tapestries were split into eight themes: industry, nature, international, culture, education, sporting, creative, and communities. The first tapestry to catch my eye was UNESCO City of Design, and this tapestry was part theme, ‘Creative Dundee’.

UNESCO City of Design, stitched by Val Beveridge, Kay Deas, Margaret Geyer, Catherine Lawson, Natalie McCluskey, Kaye Macgregor, Tricia Paton, Ann Penhale, Alice Simpson, and Sue Tindell. Courtesy of The Dundee Tapestry.

As a Filipina, seeing the city of Cebu mentioned drew me straight to this specific tapestry and I learned that Cebu, like Dundee, is also a UNESCO City of Design. Having discovered this, I delved further into the relationship between Dundee and Cebu and found out about the cities’ collaborative effort in enriching the Materials Library Expansion’s existing digital database of indigenous materials from the Philippines and the United Kingdom. This international relationship showcases the cultural influence and significance Dundonian researchers have to offer. 

Beyond this detail that caught my eye, this panel shows the V&A Dundee at its centre. The Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma, drew his inspiration from Scotland’s cliff side landscapes into his design for the V&A Dundee building, a fitting idea as this building is situated by the River Tay waterfront; this inclusion of the V&A Dundee in this panel felt like a full-circle moment when viewing it in the building itself. 

Cinemas and Dancehalls, stitched by Meg Bartram, Susan Falconer, Louise Laing, Valeen Lyons, Ann Ross, Susan Scott, and Sheena Sigsworth. Courtesy of The Dundee Tapestry.

Photograph of Bob and Betty Barty with their ballroom dancing pupils at Star Ballroom, 11 January 1995. Courtesy of The Courier

Contrasting the peaceful landscape scene of the V&A Dundee, the Cinemas and Dancehalls depicts two individuals spinning it – a potential ode to Bobby and Betty Barty, a legendary couple who taught ballroom dancing and disco to many in their Star Ballroom in Lochee. Bob and Betty were synonymous to the city’s cultural identity and vice versa, with Betty stating: ‘we could have been living in America or Germany, but Bob wouldn’t go. He’s a Dundonian through and through, he loves the city too much ever to leave it.’ The patriotic sentiment expressed by Bob is echoed by John Fyffe MBE’s pride over The Dundee Tapestry; Dundee is a city that inspires a unique sense of community that is, for most Dundonians, irreplaceable. 

Gangs, jumpers and Northern Soul, stitched by Mairi Fraser, Sheila G. Gorrie, Nicola Montague, and Judith Robertson. Courtesy of The Dundee Tapestry.

The tapestry, Gangs, jumpers and Northern Soul, delineates how the meaning of community, particularly with the youth, was redefined in Dundee during the 1970s which was dominated by the dance-centred music scene of the ‘northern soul’. This movement full of music fanatics warmly welcomed newcomers to the scene, establishing a precedent of Dundonian melting pot; this is reinforced by the segments below each jumper represent motifs and symbols from China, Poland, Ghana, Kashmir, Italy, Ukraine, and Ireland. 

Dundee’s character shines in these tapestry panels, and this was only a brief overview of just a mere three out of thirty-five panels to reconnoitre. So, head down to the V&A Dundee and view these stitched masterpieces whilst you can – see what stories you can uncover about the ‘City of Discovery’. 

The Dundee Tapestry is a free display that is on until Sunday 28th April 2024.

Sources:

Brown, Kate. ‘Were you taught to dance at Lochee’s Star Ballroom by Dundee’s Fred and Ginger?’, The Courier, 17 August 2022 < https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/3598903/were-you-taught-to-dance-at-lochees-star-ballroom-by-dundees-fred-and-ginger/> 

British Council. ‘Materials Library Expansion – An art and cultural research collaboration between Cebu and Dundee UNESCO Creative Cities of Design’, British Council: Philippines, n.d < https://www.britishcouncil.ph/programmes/arts/ctc/grant-awardees/matic-hub> 

Dundee City Council. ‘DUNDEE One City, Many Discoveries’, Dundee City Council, n.d < https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/city-development/planning-and-economic-development/dundee-one-city-many-discoveries>

Raine, Sarah. ‘Keep the Faith’, Museum of Youth Culture, n.d < https://www.museumofyouthculture.com/northern-soul/> 

The Dundee Tapestry. ‘Introduction’, The Dundee Tapestry, n.d < https://www.thedundeetapestry.com> 

V&A Dundee. ‘The Dundee Tapestry: Weaving Stories’, V&A Dundee, n.d < https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/the-dundee-tapestry-weaving-stories> 

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