Industry Artistry

Q Arts were commissioned to produce a digital, projection based, installation piece at mills within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site – Industry Artistry.

To complement the exhibition, the artist Joe Mahony ran free workshops with schools, groups and artists at mills and venues within Derbyshire. These workshops explored some of the themes and techniques used in the final projection/installation piece such as computer-generated images, projection techniques, camera obscuras, sequences and time-based media. The final piece brought together work produced from the workshops to create an exciting visual experience.

Industry Artistry aimed to celebrate the history and nature of the Derwent Valley Mills and bring the site alive for the people who live in and around the area by exploring its history of innovation, reinforcing its identity and celebrating its past, present and future. The project followed an ethos of bringing together science and art. The projection mirrored the Enlightenment thinking that drove development of the Mills in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, whilst exploring digital technology to produce innovative artwork for the enjoyment of people from all ages and disciplines.

The Consortium was made up of Derbyshire County Council, the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership, Derby City Council, Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.