Craft at the Arnolfini
Craftivism, a project bringing together craft with social activism and made possible through a Crafts Council Spark Plug Curator Award, opens at the Arnolfini on 11 December 2009.
Craftivism is curated by Zoe Shearman who received a Spark Plug award in 2008, alongside Geoff Cox, Associate Curator of Online Projects, Arnolfini and Ann Coxon, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern. Spark Plug awards are given to curators and craft professionals who want to develop ambitious and innovative exhibitions that engage with contemporary craft. The award funds the research and development phase of a project in order to bring exiting ideas to fruition.
Craftivism responds to the renewed presence of craft in contemporary art practice and will include 14 different projects that employ ‘craftivism’ (combining crafting + activism). Craftivism will involve artists who engage with craft-based traditions through art, technology, performance, design and fashion. It places an emphasis on interaction and participation within the community and invites the public to take part, make work and learn craft-based skills to customise products.
Zoe Shearman says:
“Receiving a Spark Plug Curator Award really enabled me to explore the possibilities of this project and to make new and unexpected connections during the research phase. The scheme is a great opportunity for curators to think in innovative ways and it has proved invaluable to the development of Craftivism.”
The 14 projects of Craftivism include;
• Handmade Hero, in which artist Rhiannon Chaloner has brought together a team of locally based British pro-style wrestlers to design and make an alternative masked and costumed alter-ego from personal clothing and items.
• CASSAVA, will take the form of costumes available for visitors to wear around the exhibition. The two and three-person costumes have been made by an intergenerational group of women led by artist Gloria Ojulari Sule using the Yoruba indigo hand-dyeing process and Dutch wax prints common in Nigerian cultural dress.
• The Knitting Salon, which will present a soft public sculpture made through a process with local knitters led by artist Trevor Pitt that will act as a platform for visitors to share knitting skills and dialogue.
Craftivism is part of the Artist/Activist season at Arnolfini in Autumn/Winter 2009/10 which provides a socially-active forum for debate and learning around issues of climate change and alternatives to the culture of consumerism.
—Ends—
For further information and electronic images please contact Jill Read, Press Officer, Crafts Council, Tel: 020 7806 2549 or Email: media@craftscouncil.org.uk
Notes to Editors
• The Crafts Council’s goal is to make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft.
We believe that craft plays a dynamic and vigorous role in the UK’s social, economic and cultural life.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to make, see, collect and learn about craft.
We believe that the strength of craft lies in its use of traditional and contemporary techniques, ideas and materials to make extraordinary new work.
We believe that the future of craft lies in nurturing talent; children and young people must be able to learn about craft at school and have access to excellent teaching throughout their education.
• 11% of the UK population visited a craft exhibition in 20089/09, and 17% participated in craft activity in the same year (DCMS/ACE Taking Part data update August 2009).
• More than 2.8 million visits were made to the Crafts Council website in 2009. To find out everything you need to know about where to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft visit www.craftscouncil.org.uk
• The Crafts Council is supported by Arts Council England. Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives. As the national development agency for the arts, it supports a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts. Between 2008 and 2011, Arts Council England will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
