As part of the State of Fashion, the Linen Project presents the work of a number of stewards at Museum Arnhem: Catharina Van Eetvelde, Heleen Klopper, Jan Peter Scheen, Karin Wijnen, Loes Schepens, Maaike Gottschal, Hans Hutting, Ellen Rooijakkers, Marieke van Mieghem, Kelly Konings and Rob Velker.

Since 2018, flax has been grown in Arnhem and the surrounding area under the name The Linen Project. From flax, linen is made. Until the early 1900s, our local textiles were linen or wool. Making linen requires a lot of knowledge and skill; in sowing, harvesting and processing.

The Linen Project works on the idea of “learning by doing. The Linen Project therefore founded the shared stewardship. This is a group of about thirty people (stewards) who are responsible for the entire process of manual linen production. Together they go through all the steps of flax growing; from the seed to the thread.

At The Linen Project, heritage, education, agriculture, design, art, craft and economy come together. Also, together with industry partners, The Linen Project explores how the machine-made linen chain can be reshaped. For example: By 2024, over 800 people will participate in 1m2 of flax, with people throughout the Netherlands growing their own square meter of flax in their gardens.