A Tapestry for Anglesey (Ynys Môn)
Commissioned by the Future Observatory, Design Museum 2025Wales has a long and rich history of weaving stories into textiles, preserving the country’s culture, memory and identity for future generations. Continuing this legacy, the tapestry was commissioned by Future Observatory for Tools for Transition, a new display of regionally specific design research at the Design Museum.
The work responds to Public Map Platform (PMP), an initiative that brings together young people and community mappers on Ynys Môn (Anglesey) to explore the place they call home. The tapestry serves as a creative response to their ongoing research within the Future Observatory network.
Over the past two years, PMP has focused on co-creating an interactive digital map designed to help local authorities and communities visualise what is happening in their areas. Their approach weaves together environmental data, cultural memory, sensory information and storytelling to support planning that reflects the lived experiences of people and place.
The tapestry’s design was developed through a co-production workshop with PMP’s team of Community Mappers on Ynys Môn. Participants were invited to reflect on their experiences of mapping the island, responding to prompts such as “Was there a moment in the mapping process that felt especially meaningful or relevant?” The responses a mix of reflections, drawings and stories, revealed emotional and cultural layers of place that can’t be captured through data alone.
These fragments were later shaped into an illustration conveying the themes and narratives shared by the mappers. The design reflects the three key layers of the public map: social, cultural and environmental.
The tapestry tells many stories at once. Relics of Anglesey’s industrial past, aluminium and copper mining, and references to the island’s future with nuclear energy frame the edges of the piece. Scenes from mapping events appear throughout, depicting moments of community life: local schools, water sports, crafts and cultural activities. Together, these images form a vivid portrait of life on the island, drawn from the perspective of those who know it best.
Handwoven by Dash & Miller using British wool on a Jacquard loom, a tool originally developed for patterned cloth and later an influence on early computing, the tapestry bridges digital mapping and traditional craft, connecting precision with care.
The work stands as a testament to the power of co-creation, honouring the importance of making space for stories, voices and memories in how place is understood.
A Tapestry for Anglesey forms part of the Future Observatory: Tools for Transition display and will be on show at the Design Museum until August 2026.
Woven by Dash & Miller
Photo Credit Luke Hayes