Category Archives: Guerrilla craft

A Craftivist’s Saturday: 3 projects in one day

Posted on January 27, 2012 | 3 Comments

Sometimes people struggle to understand what we mean when we say we are craftivists and ‘do’ craftivism. We also get people post on our Facebook group, tweet or email us asking how they can get involved in our projects if they are not in London or the UK. We are always reminding people that they don’t have to be in London or in a group to be a craftivist and we hope this film will encourage people to join in with our projects and show how easy it is :)

We work really hard at providing resources to our craftivists so that they can deliver our projects wherever they are in the world, as an individual or to do as a group. We create instruction videos, templates, kits, images and workshops. Plus we make sure our projects are accessible to all whether you are new to craft or new to activism. Please let us know how we can improve if you still feel unsupported or unclear on how you can get involved.

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Guerrilla craft, Mini protest banners, Press & publicity, video

Barbie provoking conversations on gender inequality

Posted on May 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Another project for you to do wherever you are in the world at any time:

Written by Craftivist Hannah Griffiths: 

We have put this barbie up to raise awareness of maternal health issues in the global south but you could link it to another gender issue you are passionate about.

There are so many international days, even the International Talk like a Pirate Day that the International Day of the Midwife sounds like just another pointless event doesn’t it? But this year over 536,000 women will die of pregnancy-related complications. The majority of these deaths occur in developing countries.

Medically trained midwives could help to prevent this.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Guerrilla craft, project update

Craftivists held protest stitch-in at railway stations across the UK last weekend

Posted on April 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

above image: Kings Cross railway station, London. Stitch-In

At 1pm on Saturday 10th April, craftivists joined in a nationwide protest to demand a halt to rail fare increases.  Currently the coalition Government plans to hike fares by 31% over the next 4 years whilst continuing to say that will be the greenest Government yet.

 

Hundreds of craftivists (activists who protest using scissors, thread and fabric) converged on railway stations across the UK for a protest picnic and stitch-in.  From Brighton and Cornwall, Dorset and Devon to Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and London. All stitch-ins brought together eager craftivists, who shared their message with members of the public who wanted to find out about the unique action.

above image: Bristol Temple Mead railway station: Bristol craftivists at their Stitch-In

The craftivists from the Craftivist Collective created 4inch deep x 7inches wide fabric train coaches covered with statistics, facts, quotes and consumer views on our Government’s carbon-friendly transport policy, as well as providing jam sandwiches and cupcakes for passers by from picnic hampers.

 

One Craftivist said: ‘It was a great way to engage the public in the issues of unfair rail fares and climate change. We crafted loads of train coaches to add to our bunting petition during the day. And which other protest could you attend that provides jam sandwiches, cupcakes and tea with a smile?

above image: Manchester Piccadilly railway station: Manchester craftivists Stitch-In

“As the Craftivist Collective we are passionate about showing our love for local and global neighbours. The unfair fare increases will stop people using trains when we need help keeping our carbon footprints down. The increases will hit people living in poverty the most and stop them getting to their jobs and alienate them even more from society.

‘Short-haul flights and cars shouldn’t be the cheapest most convenient option. Philip Hammond MP wants to hike fairs a massive 31% over the term of this Government. We’re here to demand fair fares and a sustainable alternative.”

 

Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said in 2010:

‘Whether we like it or not, the ability to travel point-to-point on an individually-tailored timetable [i.e. in a car] is one of the great quality-of-life gains of the second half of the 20th century.

 

The various panels will be collated into a petition-train which will be taken on a Fair Fare Railway Adventure on Saturday 16th April.  It will be delivered to Philip Hammond MP (Minister for Transport) by direct action group: Climate Rush.



One of our favourite crafted carriages made by craftivist Hannah Henderson. Find more carriages and Stitch-In photos here

For more information please visit: www.railwayadventure.wordpress.com

 

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Events, Guerrilla craft, Hand embroidery, London, Manchester, Press & publicity

London Craftivists at their Stitch-In campaigning for Fair train fares and to protect our environment

Posted on April 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

London based Craftivists held a protest stitch-in at King’s Cross railway station

At 1pm on Sunday 10th April, craftivists, joined a nationwide protest to demand a halt to rail fare increases.  Currently the coalition Government plans to hike fares by 31% over the next 4 years.

Hundreds of craftivists (activists who protest using scissors, thread and fabric) converged on railway stations across the UK for a protest picnic and stitch-in.

The event at King’s Cross brought together over 20 eager craftivists, who shared our message with members of the public who wanted to find out about the unique action.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Events, Guerrilla craft, Hand embroidery, London, Press & publicity

10th April: Crafting a train of bunting to campaign for Fair Fares!

Posted on March 11, 2011 | 4 Comments

 

 

 

Craftivist Collective are so excited to be working with the wonderful Climate Rush on a join project called Railway Adventure

As part of the campaign to fight for fair transport fares the craftivists want you!

On Sunday 10th April Craftivists up and down the country will be sitting in train stations crafting away to raise awareness of excessive rises in train fares. We will be crafting 4inch deep x 7inches wide fabric train coaches (bunting patches) with stats, facts, quotes, and our views on the devastating effects these train fare hikes will have on a cheap and sustainable transport policy. All bunting carriages need to be posted to the Craftivist Collective in time for it to be sewn together into a long train petition for our big adventure on the 16th April. We need your help to make this the longest and prettiest train bunting ever!

This is a national event and a great opportunity for craftivists to get involved, speak to passers by and capture media attention to our campaign. Why not get together with a group of your friends and run your own craftivism train station session on the 10th April wherever you are in the UK?- we will help with resources, advice, templates, instructions etc (if you are busy on the 10th you can still help and post your bunting coaches)

CURRENT LOCATIONS INVOLVED (more to be added)

For those of you based in London Join us at 2pm on Sunday 10th April at King’s Cross to sit on a picnic blanket, drink tea and eat our jam sandwiches whilst crafting petitions in the shape of train carriages. We will have all resources needed but it would be great if you could bring scissors, thread, fabric and even completed carriages with you if possible. Find the Facebook event here.

Across the UK other craftivists will be doing the same in their area on the same day at the same time. Join us in this non-threatening, kitsch but thought provoking craftivism project. So far we have the events happening on the 10th April 2pm in stations in Brighton, Sheffield, Coventry , Birmingham, Bangor, Dorset,Leeds, Bristol, London, Manchester, Devon and Cornwall. If you want to do it in your area please email craftivist-collective [at] hotmail dot com and we will help you set it up!

We want people to craft 4inch deep x 7inches wide fabric train coaches (patches a little like our Mini Protest Banners) with stats, facts, quotes, views on the devastating effects that train fare hikes will have on the nation and world, find examples here. Please help us make this petition bunting. Cross stitch, hand embroider, write in fabric pens, whatever you can to get the issues out.

Support is here:

  • Here is a document to help get local press coverage of your event on the 10th: CAPTURE LOCAL MEDIA it includes a press release template
  • Find some examples of the carriages here
  • Go here to see images of the flyers you can use to give out at the Stitch-Ins on the 10th to explain our project- email us for the PDFs
  • Here is the poster you can use to advertise your local Stitch-In. Email to recieve the PDF. Feel free to add on local info
  • We are currently producing an instructions video, and everything else you need. Watch this space for more support

http://craftivist-collective.com/ email: craftivist-collective[at]hotmail.dot.com for PDFs etc

Approximately 4 inches tall and 7 inches wide. Made on cotton (I’ve used iron on bondaweb between two bits of fabric to make it stiffer and not fray easily but you don’t have to). This one is going to be hand embroidered but you could use fabric paint/pens or cross stitch. Up to you!:)

The train bunting petitions created at the Stitch-In’s across the UK on the 10th will all be stitched together to be used on our train adventure on the 16th here:

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Guerrilla craft, Hand embroidery, London, Manchester, newcastle

Facts and Quotes for your train bunting petition: to use or inspire you

Posted on March 10, 2011 | 1 Comment
For our joint project with Climate Rush we are creating bunting petitions in the shape of train carriages 7inches wide by 5inches deep. They can be hand embroidered, cross stitched any other crafty way you want to demand fair train fares for our society (as long its the correct size and on cotton). Here are some facts and quotes you can use or to help you inspire you to create you’re own. Instructions video, exmples and press release coming soon.
FACTS

In 2007, 79% of the distance travelled by the average individual in the UK was done by car while only 7% was travelled by over ground rail. 

Only 55% of people in the UK have travelled by train in the past year.

Between 1997 and 2008, the cost of travelling by train rose by 46%, while the cost of travelling by car rose by 26%
Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Guerrilla craft, Hand embroidery, leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, newcastle

Leeds ActiveARTs members join us in hijacking valentines day

Posted on February 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

Leeds ActiveARTS is a new group founded by young artist and campaigner, Lana Johnson. We are proud to know that their first workshop they did was to deliver our Valentines project. They held their Alternative Valentine’s Day workshop at REMADE in Leeds Hyde Park, at 6.00PM on MONDAY 31ST JANUARY. at dusk on Monday 14th February the delivered them across Leeds!

The workshop was held at a cool little vintage shop in Hyde Park, Leeds called Remade. We are very pleased to report that it was a huge success! ActiveARTS group members and friends gathered around to chat, eat cookies and create shrink wrap key rings for our ‘Alternative Valentine’s Day’ cards. Everybody created a love heart with a personalised message reminding you to spread the love.

The love heart keyrings we made will be placed inside alternative Valentine’s Day cards to be left out for the public, all over Leeds this Valentine’s Day.  Instead of the usual stigma associated with Valentine’s Day, we want to show and spread neighbourly and global love!

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Guerrilla craft, leeds, valentines

Ubuntu Mini Protest Banner outside Wandsworth Prison

Posted on February 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

Craftivist Justine crafted this beautiful Mini Protest Banner and hung it outside Wandsworth Prison. Here she writes why she made her Mini Protest Banner and why she chose that specific location as the resting place for her creation:

It is a protest about the injustice of poverty, and especially the massive and widening gap between the minority rich and the rest of us. It refers to the African concept of Ubuntu which we do not have a single word translation for in the English language (interestingly!) but which means something like ‘we are human only together’.

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Guerrilla craft, Mini protest banners

Manchester Oxfam Student Society join us in hijacking Valentines Day 2011

Posted on February 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

Blog by Jemma O’Brien of Manchester Oxfam Society

The tables were set, scissors and glue lined up nicely, ribbon and fabric cut into even chunks, felt tips and coloured pencils at the ready, tissue paper, crepe paper, heart hole punch put in the middle (not as sinister as it sounds) big cards, small cards, envelopes, come to think of it, we’d completely wiped out the craft store. Now the people, were they going to come ‘get their craft on’ as one girl said? Yes! They came, hoorah! First through the door, three wonderful boys! At first slightly bewildered at the masses of crafty goods before them, they took their seats and went for it (not quite duck to water standard, one just stared at his card in confusion for a while) and by the time they had to leave to go ‘do science’ we had several beautiful cards made with their fair hands. But what are we doing here in this small top room of Manchester University?

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Guerrilla craft, Manchester, Meetings, Paper, valentines

Alternative Valentine’s cards 2009

Posted on February 15, 2010 | Leave a comment


Sarah Corbett writes: One hundred cards were left around Central London on Valentine’s Day 2009. Each contained an alternative Valentine’s letter, a handmade gift and a sweet. Hand delivered to gaps in walls, cash machine slots, shop shelves etc, you don’t have to be in a relationship to have one of these!

I did this project in Liverpool 2008. These are valentine’s cards with a difference: the letter is written from a person from a developing country asking for people to show some ‘real love’ for the unforgotten poorest people in the world. The card includes either a keyring or a badge in the shape of a Loveheart sweet saying ‘Real Love’ and an actual sweet. Continue reading →

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Posted in All, Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Guerrilla craft, Liverpool, London, Press & publicity