^{Means any good for the poor! As part of an exhibition project by Mateus Domingos at Modern Painters, New Decorators, we worked on a digital resource and a fold-out zine, as a guide across the town to various locations associated with the stories of the Luddites.}

As part of Carrier Bag Fictions, an exhibition by Mateus Domingos at Modern Painters, New Decorators in the Autumn of 2023, Josh and I worked together to produce a free fold-out zine and digital resource based on a Ludd-walk led by Mateus.

On a Saturday morning in late October we set out from MPND, armed with a Resist the cloud flag and followed by over twenty members of the public who had turned out for the event. Mateus led this unlikely crowd across Loughborough to various locations associated with the stories of the Luddites – in particular the attack on Heathcoat & Boden’s factory on 29th June 1816. I jotted down details of conversations and questions, and Josh scribbled some drawings in his notebook.

On our return, we collated these notes and illustrations and came up with a Ludd map of Loughborough – something that can be used long after the exhibition is over. Josh carved a lino-cut for the front cover based on a historical Luddite ticket inscribed with the words “no general but Ludd means any good for the poor” that we found online. We printed and hand-folded fifty copies to give out at the gallery, a much longer process than we first expected!

Although the copies of the physical zine are gone, you can still use the digital resource to explore the town, considering the stories and questions that are linked to each location and how they make you feel about your relationship to work and technology.

Words by Josie Jones