Three looms waiting

Here’s one of the most famous videos ever made of Dorothy Heathcote’s work.

Three Looms Waiting, shot in 1970, was a BBC documentary about Heathcote and shows examples of her methods at that time. While none of the episodes show Mantle of the Expert (as she hadn’t invented it yet) there is lots to learn from watching Heathcote’s work at this period. Particularly stunning is the first episode, where she works with a group of boys from a community home. Heathcote later said she disliked the high status “commandant” role she took here, but the way she handles the group and fosters their ownership of the material is amazing to behold.