Free Hat Sculpture Trail “Hats Off To Denton” is coming for Half Term.
The new ‘Hats Off to Denton’ sculpture trail is heading to Tameside for February Half Term.
Organised by Tameside Council in order to honour Denton’s hat-making heritage, the project was launched on Saturday 15 January, National Hat Day.
The New Hat’s off to Denton Sculpture Trail will feature 15 hat’s, five of them giant and is set to launch on the 19th February, just in time for half term.
Image credit – Tameside Council
The Hat’s will be around Denton town centre until Sunday 13 March, and each hat will be a unique creation painted by a local artist with many inspired by schools and community groups.
ImI Image credit – Tameside Council
All the artists involved are based in Greater Manchester and several are from Tameside and include Gordon Banks, Lizzie Rigby, Amina Sheikh and CBeebies artist Vanessa Scott.
Image credit – Tameside Council
Among the participating schools and community groups announced are St Thomas More RC College, Denton Community College, Denton Local History Society, Gibson’s Dance Centre, Denton Brass Band, Beavers and Cubs, The Create Centre and Tameside Air Cadets.
Image credit – Tameside Council
Denton was a centre of hatting for 300 years and in Victorian times was home to 86 companies. It was also the birthplace of Thomas Bowler, the man who designed the famous hat that bears his name.
The tradition continues even now in the shape of Denton Hats which supplies the trademark Gatsby caps for the popular BAFTA-winning BBC television drama “Peaky Blinders”.
Image credit – Tameside Council
A statue outside Denton Town Hall called “Tipping the Denton Linney” commemorates the link with the hatting industry which once employed almost half the town’s population.
Image credit – Tameside Council
Councillor Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member with responsibility for culture, said: “I’m really excited about the “Hats Off” trail. It’s a celebration the entire town can get involved with, allowing people to work alongside some very talented artists who will give expression their ideas.
“Denton was once one of the main hatting centres not just in Britain, but the entire world, and the industry was a source of great civic pride. ‘Hats Off’ provides us with an opportunity to rekindle that pride by showing that creativity and community spirit are still at the heart of what makes Denton such a great place.”
‘Hats Off to Denton’ is funded from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the Welcome Back Fund.
For more information about the Hat Sculpture Trail and where you can find them see here.
