ROYAL VISIT TO NORTHAMPTON MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY AND WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF CORDWAINERS CELEBRATING 750TH ANNIVERSARY
The purpose of this event is to showcase the recently re-opened Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, which has undergone a major £6.7 million renovation and expansion project.
The museum has an ambitious master plan to become a world-renowned institution, dedicated to the display, research and collection of shoes, with the aim to achieve National Museum status for the internationally important and world-renowned shoe collection within the next 5 years. This unique resource already has Arts Council Designated Status, recognizing its national and international importance and is arguably the pre-eminent shoe collection in the world.
The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is a City of London livery company which is celebrating its 750th anniversary in 2022. Cordwainers are shoemakers and links between the Cordwainers and Northampton, the home of the British footwear industry, are particularly strong.
Few institutions remain dedicated to their core purpose after so many centuries. The Cordwainers work to promote excellence in footwear design and to support the wider British footwear trade. A charitable organisation, the Cordwainers provide scholarships and bursaries to footwear design students, notably those at the University of Northampton.
