Redruth’s Movers and Shakers
Ringrose Fabrics: Making a Material Difference
Ringrose Fabrics is a house of textiles with items that span through the last century. But this community hub is also part of the town’s efforts to reduce waste and recycle.
The shop is a space where you could spend hours browsing fabrics, haberdasheries or clothing and still find new pieces each time you return.
Owner Mati Ringrose has created a welcoming space here. The shop is often brimming with people searching through ribbons or taking a coffee at the counter, while her young daughter pulls beaded vintage gloves from baskets.
It’s a flurry of colour, design and community focused on sustainability and affordability.
In the UK 206,456 tonnes of textile waste is produced each year. Of the 3.1kg each Brit produces on average, only 0.3kg is recycled and 0.4kg is reused.
It has become a mission of Mati’s to tackle this waste. She works hard to source recycled and repurposed quality textiles.
Mati’s bold and creative thinking is inspiring and she champions others striving to help the town realise its full potential.
Redruth Press: Bringing Community
and Creativity Together
Residents will be familiar with the punchy, cool posters produced by Redruth Press, a mobile screen printing workshop run by artists Caroline Wilkins and Tony Minnion.
Their goal is community engagement. One approach involves hitting the bustling high street markets armed with questions about the best bits of Redruth. People’s responses become fodder for on-the-spot poster creations, adding a dynamic touch to public spaces.
Another avenue sees them running workshops for various organizations in Redruth, from the lively Food Troops to the cosy Miners Court retirement home. These workshops yield an array of posters that find their way onto the town’s walls, creating a tapestry of community voices and creativity.
Caroline describes their recent stint as artists-in-residence at the Tate as a “thrilling experience,” shifting from public consultation to collaborative poster-making sessions. Her strong connection to Redruth is evident: she’s been a resident for 26 years, and her roots run deep.
This sense of belonging fuels her and Tony’s mission to celebrate Redruth through art. Caroline gushes about the town’s tight-knit community, its vibrant high street, and the plethora of independent shops. But it’s not just about the aesthetics; it’s about fostering a culture of celebration amid economic hardships.
She’s adamant about showcasing Redruth’s strengths and the transformative power of art, exemplified by events like the Flamm Art festival.
You can find out more about Redruth Press online at redruthpress.co.uk.
Make a Mends
The Art Room
“It’s all about the mending in our shop,” writes Sarah Perry of Make A Mends, which she runs with Sara Clasper.
“We have been open now for two years. We are situated at the bottom of town, 2 Fore Street. We love being in Redruth and we were especially keen to move into this shop as it previously belonged to Carol Mann, a well-respected dressmaker. Now we have Karren, her daughter, advising us.”
“We enjoy embellishing and decorating second-hand quality clothes to give them a new lease of life, particularly clothes that have holes, rips, or marks and need some TLC. We love putting messages on clothes. It’s called craftivism, craft + activism, the art of gentle protest. We raise awareness of the impact fast fashion has on our environment and human rights.”
“We also offer a range of mending services. Especially popular are zip replacing and hems, but we alter and adjust clothes as well. We have haberdashery and fabric too. Our motto is ‘no need for new’ – remember the most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.”
"Sara and I love being part of a community of small businesses and creative people who support each other and get things done. There is so much talent, goodwill, and energy in the town.”
"I moved to Redruth 13 years ago to be nearer to my job as an English lecturer at Cornwall College, but eventually the education system got to me, and I fled to the art shop in Truro where I ran the children’s workshops for a while," writes Tina Varcoe.
"I started doing them in hired spaces around Cornwall. It turned out that there were plenty of adults who desperately needed more opportunities to play, so when a friend asked if I’d like to rent a space in Redruth, I said 'yes' and The Art Room was born. From the outset, the purpose was to make people feel welcome and safe to be themselves without judgement or stress, and to add something to the town that would help bring people onto the main street."
"Along with our art play for grown-ups, we also run two clay groups, after school clubs, textile sessions, printmaking, crochet, birthday parties, and a lovely community event called Soup Night."
Soup Night is a way to fund little ideas that benefit the town. Berryman’s Bakery and The Grow Box greengrocer provide soup and bread. Attendees drop a tenner in the pot at the door and get to vote on whoever makes the most persuasive pitch for why they should take the door money away. "It’s great fun and a good way to hear about all the things that are going on in the community."
"The other project I’m working on is with Fluxus Cornwall CIC, a project to create an interactive amusements space in the town centre where everything will be designed and built by local people. We’ve been running invention workshops and are starting a weekly invention club."
"Redruth is filled with creative activity, which is wonderful, but we wanted to add something for people who are creative in a different way. Fluxus is our answer."
"Change is the only thing we can ever be sure of, and towns and businesses have to adapt if they want to survive. Retail is no longer enough on its own. We need to offer experiences and places to meet as a community alongside shopping. We need to work together if we’re going to move fast enough to save high streets. If we wait for the old top-down approach..."
