“ Heather taught me how to knit when I was studying textiles at the Belfast School of Art. She helped me bring my ideas to life and was always their to help with practical advice when I fell down the machine knitting rabbit hole. It was great to sit back and listen to her stories, experiences, hurdles and achievements.”

Five Conversations, 2021
Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Film by Creating A Space
 

Heather Burgess is a textile artist and runs her own business called Rag Button. She works as a textile technician at the Belfast School of Art. 10 years ago Heather was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer and this changed a lot of things in her life. Heather’s Christian faith and love of embroidery have enabled her to reflect on her diagnosis in a positive way and she has exhibited a number of textile art pieces that directly relate to her condition. Heather has recently found her dream home and is presently ‘stripping out its insides and giving it back its soul’. She looks forward to moving in with her two cats in 2022.