The last few months have been wonderfully busy with a whirlwind of activity for Connecting Threads; a project in collaboration with my friend, artist Emily Hayes. We met whilst studying Embroidery at the Manchester School of Art and have always shared a interest in working creatively with community groups. Earlier this year we came together to develop an idea for a project that would engage people affected by homelessness. We tentatively applied for an Arts Council grant and were astonished when we successfully secured the funding back in July!
Over the summer we worked with three organisations in Manchester who support people affected by homelessness; the Booth Centre, Life Matters and the Mustard Tree. We delivered a series of workshops focussing on printmaking and embroidery with the aims of making connections between people through a creative focus. In September we held a week long exhibition at Manchester Digital Laboratory where we showcased the work the participants had made. We invited people to contribute to a giant embroidered landscape, adding their own stitches and drawings.
The experience of planning and delivering the project has been brilliant. Although I have lots of experience as a creative practitioner, it was the first time time for both of us that we have developed a project from scratch and seen it through to the final exhibition. I have certainly learnt a great deal and feel that my confidence has been boosted by knowing that we have delivered such a well received project! We met some wonderful people and found that there is lots of potential for the project to continue to grow. We would love to tour the giant embroidery to other communities and see it displayed in a public building. We are having a little rest after the busy summer but will soon start planning our next move! Visit the Connecting Threads blog for more information on the project.
Since my last post I've been busy making more decorations for the Brazilica Fringe Festival in Liverpool. Last night saw the wonderfully vibrant Carnival Ball Voodoo Extravaganza at the brilliant venue The Kazimier.
The visual theme was Santeria - a dark fusion of West African rituals and Roman Catholic traditions manifested in Orisha deities. Artists Delia and Tristan Brady-Jacobs created some fabulously powerful shrines and effigies using all manner of objects from dismembered baby dolls to sea-worn bricks and beach flotsam. These were nestled into the dark atmospheric spaces of the Kazimier and bathed in red light, transporting revellers to another world.
My contribution was a collection of embroidered hearts pierced with black spears based on a Santeria symbol. I also had fun with an eyelet tool to make some very spiky leather hearts. I had such a lovely time making my costume, including a headpiece piled high with balls wrapped in scraps of brightly coloured fabric inspired by the African influence on Brazilian culture. The event was incredible with the visuals, music and atmosphere combining to make it a unique spectacle; dark, funny and exciting.
Since being invited by Craft Creative, I've really enjoyed collaborating with the fantastically creative and enthusiastic people involved with the Brazilica Fringe events. Most of all it has got me making again! I spend a lot of time making things in preparation for facilitating workshops, which I love, but it was good to just make things to be seen for a change. Some of the themes and techniques I have been exploring for the festival will certainly crop up again. Watch this space for more woven bike wheels and outlandish millinery!
I've been having a very colourful time creating decorative elements for Liverpool's Brazilica Fringe Festival events in collaboration with Craft Creative. The brief was to create portable pieces that could adorn each venue hosting the various film, music and dance events acting as recognisable markers. Recycling and creative upcycling became a real focus as I set about making lots of bright Brazilian flowers from tin cans to be dotted around the venues in bunches. An old bike wheel found new life as a 3D recreation of the festival's logo. I loved the technique of weaving in and out of the spokes with recycled threads made from plastic bags and wire insulation rubber. I think a new project of woven works is calling me! It was brilliant to see the pieces in Mello Mello for Version Excursion, the first Brazilica Fringe event. Next up is the task of decking out the Kazimier for the Carnival Ball!
Blue Room have been working hard on a very special project as part of our Galapagos exhibition programme at the Bluecoat. Twelve beautiful tortoise sculptures have been lovingly custom made to build their habitats in various locations around the Bluecoat and in shops in Liverpool One. Each tortoise holds the answer to a question about the Galapagos Islands, families can follow the trail to collect the answers and be entered into a prize draw. All three Blue Room groups worked brilliantly together in teams to create creatures that are full of character using techniques such as papier mache, wire and cardboard construction. The Tortoise Trail launched on Saturday 2nd June and runs until Sunday 10th June, the activity sheets are available from Tickets and Information at the Bluecoat.
Last Saturday was a whirlwind of flying cardboard tubes, paper cups and empty cereal boxes as I facilitated a creative construction workshop at Chorlton's Big Green Festival. I was invited by Busy Bee Toyshop Co-operative to help the lovely children of South Manchester let their imaginations run wild with the aid of the fantastic creative toy Makedo. The plastic connectors are a bit like split pins crossed with reusable cable-ties and allow the creator to make absolutely anything they can dream up from recycled cardboard and found materials. I had lots of fun preparing for the workshop, creating a menagerie of creatures from the contents of my recycling bin. I was especially fond of Earl Grey, the Rockhopper penguin made from an egg box and a tea packet. The young festival goers and their families produced a wonderful array of animals, vehicles, robots and rockets. The creations are currently on display in Busy Bee's shop window and the best ones have earned their makers a prize!
Recently, I've been teaming up with the brilliant Rubbish Revamped's Danielle Lowy to deliver some creative recycling sessions on behalf of the WEA as part of their Peripheral Vision project.
Held at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, two fantastic groups of adults got the chance to create adorable creatures from upcycled socks! Inspired by Donna Wilson's show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the participants explored pattern cutting, stitching techniques and stuffing their creatures with tactile waste materials such as old rice and pillow wadding.
The results were a wonderfully expressive bunch of creatures ranging from mice and bunnies to red squirrels and even mythical looking critters. It was great to see how much character can be invested in an old sock, simply by adding a couple of buttons for eyes and carefully positioned ears. Inspired, I've made these two little mice for my lovely Mum and Nana for Mother's Day!
