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Threads of Connection is an innovative cultural collaboration between heritage, education and art.

A collaboration between Manchester Museum, School of Digital Arts (SODA) and Print City, the project transforms historical artefacts from the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery into digital contemporary narratives.

The project invites visitors to explore five remarkable objects from the Museum’s Chinese Culture Gallery – one of them a Firefighter’s Smart Jacket (developed by Prof. Henry Yi Li, University of Manchester), a Qing Dynasty Dragon Robe (1644–1911), and a pair of Shoes for Bound Feet.

These artefacts will be reinterpreted through the eyes of second year students from SODA at Manchester Metropolitan University, transforming them into ‘future heritage’ pieces.

By blending digital storytelling on Instagram and tactile encounters, Threads of Connection bridges traditional craft with cutting-edge technology, in collaboration with Print City for 3D textile design and digital fabrication. Visitors will be able to engage both online and on-site, tracing how stories travel across cultures and generations. You are welcome to come along to see and try out the students’ creative works.