Julie Cope's Grand Tour: The Story of a Life by Grayson Perry

The Crafts Council has recently acquired an exciting new addition* to its national Collection of contemporary craft: a pair of large-scale and striking tapestries by Grayson Perry, winner of the Turner Prize in 2003. These went on public show for the first time at the Collect: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects from 2-6 Feb 2017 at the Saatchi Gallery, London. Now they will be exhibited at Banbury Museum at the start of a national tour.

The Essex House Tapestries: The Life of Julie Cope (2015) were made for ‘A House for Essex,’ designed by Grayson Perry and FAT Architecture. The house was conceived as a mausoleum to Julie Cope, a fictitious Essex ‘everywoman’ whose experiences audiences throughout the country can relate to. Julie is the central character of The Ballad of Julie Cope, written by Perry and inspired by the people he grew up among. This touring exhibition features the only pair of these tapestries in a public collection, and tell Julie's story through Perry's recognisably vibrant and detail-orientated style. As the only chance to read and hear the ballad outside of the House for Essex, audiences will be able to explore ideas of regional identity, the effect of social history on the individual, and class mobility, through her journey.

In celebration of the exhibition opening, the Crafts Council has commissioned artist Grayson Perry and designer Kit Grover to create an exclusive range of Julie Cope's Grand Tour merchandise.

• Purchase supported by Art Fund (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation) and a donation from Maylis and James Grand.