Making Moves, Creating Futures for Craft
Work by Emily Notman
Residency:
Eagle House, Midland
Heart, Stafford
Maker: Cathy Miles
Graduate Placement: Emily Notman
The Stafford residency was sited at Eagle House, Midland
Heart Organisation, which is a supported housing scheme
accommodating single people aged 18-64. Cathy Miles is
a maker working in metal who ‘draws’ with wire combined
with other found materials to create sculptural illustrations
that capture a character, scene or imaginary place. Cathy
and Emily Notman worked with the customers at Eagle
House to explore stories of their lives and the things that
make them happy.
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
Work by Emily Notman
Residency:
Eagle House, Midland
Heart, Stafford
Maker: Cathy Miles
Graduate Placement: Emily Notman
The Stafford residency was sited at Eagle House, Midland
Heart Organisation, which is a supported housing scheme
accommodating single people aged 18-64. Cathy Miles is
a maker working in metal who ‘draws’ with wire combined
with other found materials to create sculptural illustrations
that capture a character, scene or imaginary place. Cathy
and Emily Notman worked with the customers at Eagle
House to explore stories of their lives and the things that
make them happy.
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