Woven Hug at Flowerfield Arts Centre
An innovative participatory textiles project is coming to Northern Ireland this summer.
Woven Hug will provide participants with the opportunity to reunite, reconnect and reflect following the pandemic.
See all the ways for you to get involved HERE
We are prticularlry excited about going to their pannel discussion event on Thursday 29th June which will feature ‘reflections on our textile heritage and its political and environmental impact’ and of course, the launch event on July 6th.
Put it in our diaries now!
This unique project, initially delivered in Monterrey, Mexico during spring 2022 sees talented artists Tere Chad and Cordelia Rizzo come to Flowerfield Arts Centre, Colraine for a summer residency. Employing the practice of arpillera, also known as burlap techniques, the project aims to craft a large textile piece, symbolising an embrace. Using recycled materials, it will promote sustainability in response to fast fashion's damaging impact on the environment. Both this and the Monterrey project draw inspiration from Chilean arpilleras from the Conflict Textiles collection, forged through previous collaborations (Woven Hug (Abrazo Entramado).
This project will be a real community effort, participate in two ways – by either donating fabric at various collection points – including R-Space Gallery – until 19th June or by joining one of their free workshops to help design and embroidered embellishments that will be attached to an outdoor sculpture.
These workshops will provide participants with a space to reflect on various topics that will be woven into the final sculpture including Northern Ireland society post-Good Friday Agreement, the textile heritage of the region, the historical role of women in society, our beautiful landscapes, and the impact of climate change upon them.
The finished piece will be two arms extending from the first-floor façade of Flowerfield Arts Centre and will be displayed through the summer (July 6th – August 31st – weather permitting).
This project, which is delivered in partnership with Linen Biennale, Ulster University, Queen’s University and Conflict Textiles, and supported by using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
