Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft
Jephson Gardens
Leamington Spa
Maker: Deirdre Nelson
Textile artist, Deirdre Nelson’s residency was based in the
Glasshouse Studio attached to the Temperate House in
Jephson Gardens. Deirdre, together with Stewart Easton,
worked with members of the intergenerational Hispanic
community group, Club Amigos, to make a collective
tablecloth ‘Las Mantel Mas Grande de Leamington’ (The
Biggest Tablecloth in Leamington) using drawing, digital
print and stitch. Deirdre and Stewart also worked with
second generation Portuguese children from Sydenham
Primary School, to create embroidered napkins
celebrating the elephants that used to live in Leamington.
Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft
Making Moves is a West Midlands craft development initiative
involving four regional partnerships, led by Staffordshire County
Council and Craftspace, a Birmingham based craft development
organisation. The project consisted of nine craft residencies
which took place in community settings between September
2011 and July 2012, culminating in a touring exhibition.
The nine makers were challenged by residencies in unusual
workspaces - including a hospital, a pub and a park visitor
centre - which acted as sources of inspiration to develop ideas
for new work. They worked with local communities, offering
making workshops that were high quality, inspirational and in
some cases, life-changing. The exhibition showcases new work
by the makers in response to their residency setting, as well
examples of tools, materials and work created in the community
sessions.
The project also provided opportunities for nine crafts graduates
who supported the community making sessions as well as
receiving mentoring from the resident maker. They were given a
small bursary towards the development of their practice and
have also created new work for the exhibition.
Making Moves aimed to provide valuable opportunities for
learning. Makers gave masterclasses and lectures to Higher
and Further education institutions as well as talks to the wider
community. They wrote about the residency experiences on a
project blog, as well as coming together for regular networking
sessions.
To find out more about the project visit www.makingmoves.org and the
Makers’ Residency Blog www.makingmoves.posterous.com
Photos by Becky Matthews
Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft
Jephson Gardens
Leamington Spa
Maker: Deirdre Nelson
Textile artist, Deirdre Nelson’s residency was based in the
Glasshouse Studio attached to the Temperate House in
Jephson Gardens. Deirdre, together with Stewart Easton,
worked with members of the intergenerational Hispanic
community group, Club Amigos, to make a collective
tablecloth ‘Las Mantel Mas Grande de Leamington’ (The
Biggest Tablecloth in Leamington) using drawing, digital
print and stitch. Deirdre and Stewart also worked with
second generation Portuguese children from Sydenham
Primary School, to create embroidered napkins
celebrating the elephants that used to live in Leamington.
Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft
Making Moves is a West Midlands craft development initiative
involving four regional partnerships, led by Staffordshire County
Council and Craftspace, a Birmingham based craft development
organisation. The project consisted of nine craft residencies
which took place in community settings between September
2011 and July 2012, culminating in a touring exhibition.
The nine makers were challenged by residencies in unusual
workspaces - including a hospital, a pub and a park visitor
centre - which acted as sources of inspiration to develop ideas
for new work. They worked with local communities, offering
making workshops that were high quality, inspirational and in
some cases, life-changing. The exhibition showcases new work
by the makers in response to their residency setting, as well
examples of tools, materials and work created in the community
sessions.
The project also provided opportunities for nine crafts graduates
who supported the community making sessions as well as
receiving mentoring from the resident maker. They were given a
small bursary towards the development of their practice and
have also created new work for the exhibition.
Making Moves aimed to provide valuable opportunities for
learning. Makers gave masterclasses and lectures to Higher
and Further education institutions as well as talks to the wider
community. They wrote about the residency experiences on a
project blog, as well as coming together for regular networking
sessions.
To find out more about the project visit www.makingmoves.org and the
Makers’ Residency Blog www.makingmoves.posterous.com
Photos by Becky Matthews