Arabel Lebrusan

An unoccupied Grade II listed Georgian building in Bedford’s St. Paul’s Square served as the canvas for Lace in Place, a site-specific installation realised through socially engaged practices. The work transformed the building’s 14 windows with large-scale lace panels, echoing the stitches and motifs of Bedfordshire’s historic lace-making traditions. 

These panels, crafted from polyester rope, were handmade by a team of 27 volunteers, including members of The Aragon Lacemakers and individuals new to the craft. This collaboration was initiated by Conversations in Lace, a callout session inviting people from Bedfordshire to bring examples of lace treasured within their families – before a series of lace-making workshops that brought the panels to life. This cooperative approach mirrored the cottage industry roots of Bedfordshire lace-making, blending historical techniques with contemporary artistic intervention.

The Lace in Place project also included Large Lace: A Choreography of People and Pattern, a performance exploring the physicality of lace-making; and Laced Words, a collaboration with audio-visual artist Kathy Hinde to create a repetitive pattern of words made out of light.