Apna: Ours Yours Everybody's

About

Apna is a word used in many languages across South Asia meaning ‘ours, yours or everybody’s’. This reflects how the Whitworth shares the collection that is housed here. In the Collections Centre the curators hand over the reins, in this case to Apna, a South Asian women’s arts group based in Rossendale.

This display is a collaboration between the Whitworth and Apna, telling stories of women between two worlds. Significant textiles from their lives and objects from the gallery’s collection are displayed alongside pieces they have made together, seeking to revive textile traditions that are disappearing. 

Ceremonial clothes, kantha embroidery and mirrorwork are amongst the things that have been chosen from the Whitworth’s collection. These sparked a range of stories, from a monsoon on a wedding day in Pakistan to grey, rainy days in the North of England. These stories - told through sessions in Rossendale and at the Whitworth - were literally spun, woven and stitched into the centre of each new piece.   

Apna invite you to use this exhibition to come together and share stories with family and friends, old and new.