Category Archives: London

Spanish Craftivist in Liverpool shares her passion for justice

Posted on November 2, 2011 | 2 Comments


Maite Puntes came along to a craftivist workshop led by our Founder Sarah Corbett in Liverpool in October. Maite has recently moved to Liverpool from Spain and was keen to get to know like-minded people as well as create something to provoke people to think about injustice issues she cares about. She kindly emailed us a photograph of her completed Mini Protest Banner with an explanation of it below. If you have made a mini protest banner (you can buy our kits here) we would love to showcase it here to provoke discussion about it and so people who find it in situ can find out more information about your cause in your blog here! :)

Maite Puntes wrote:
“The most extreme face of male violence is the murder of women. In my country, Spain, it´s not just a social problem; in this year 2011, 52 women have been murdered by their partners or ex partners. This number hiddens the fact that thousand women are battered in many ways everyday. Continue reading →

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Posted in All, Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, London, Mini protest banners

Cross Stitch Graffiti at London Fashion Weekend 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

To mark London Fashion Weeken 2011, we are asking you to join us in creating handmade Mini Protest Banners aimed at exposing the ugly side of fashion. We hope to see you 2pm-3pm Saturday 24th September at the Richmix for our workshop.

Using Mini Protest Banners, we hope to make people think about the side of the fashion that is often too easily dismissed by the industry in a non-threatening but challenging way during the fashionista’s calendar annual highlight.

For the past 2 years they have been tied up to lamp-posts, railings, and buildings near fashion hotspots to provoke people to care about their global neighbours on the other side of the global fashion industry.

This year we want you to join us. One banner compares the £3million which supermodel Kate Moss received from Topshop from a collection with the meagre 21 pence an hour earned by workers in Mauritius who produced clothes for the range. 

Another banner contracts the lowest paid for the week’s models, £125 an hour, with the paltry £25 a month for most Vietnamese garment workers. 

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Events, Guest appearances, London, Mini protest banners

Stitching Some Love for Our Global Neighbours at the Hayward

Posted on September 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

On the 25th of August hip London gallery The Hayward was taken over – by needles, thread, and love. The Craftivist Collective’s love letter response to Tracey Emin’s retrospective show, “Love is What You Want” drew a big crowd to the Waterloo Sunset Pavilion hosted experienced craftivists and people just learning how to stitch, signing their names off to a pledge that craftivist Sarah Corbett had handcrafted as a giant letter.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Exhibitions, Hand embroidery, London, Meetings

Craftivist’s needed September & December to help Fine Cell Work make craft kits for prisoners

Posted on September 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

Volunteers needed 2pm until 5pm Saturday 24th September and/or Saturday 3rd December to attend Fine Cell Works London Office and make craft kits for prisoners. If you are available for both or either date please book your place by emailing us at craftivist-collective [at] Hotmail DOT Com. We need 10 people each session to sit around a table, chatting, drinking tea, eating biscuits whilst making craft kits. Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, London

Come join our ‘Don’t Blow It’ project Wednesday 31st August at Southbank, London from 6:30pm

Posted on August 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

Hey craftivistas and all :)

Just a quick blog post to say please don’t forget to come and join us at the Royal Festival Hall cafe on the Southbank from 6:30pm to continue our summer project Don’t Blow It. The Facebook event is here. Some of us will be finishing off our hand embroidered handkerchiefs to give to our MPs whilst others will be starting them. We hope to have them finished by the time Summer Recess is over (6th September) so that we can give them to our local MPs on their first day back.

As always, we will have craft resources on hand but we encourage you to bring your own hanky etc if you can. We ask for a £3 donation to cover costs and will be drinking tea, eating cake and crafting whilst talking about how we are going to encourage our MP’s not to blow their chance of making a positive difference whilst they are in power. All are welcome! :) Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Hand embroidery, London

Robin Hood and his merry Craftivists!

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Check out one of our craftivists sneaking around Bank Station in London where many bankers work putting up her Mini Protest Banners. Each banner was there to encourage bankers to support the Robin Hood Tax and campaign for it to be put in place in the UK.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, London, Mini protest banners

Craftivists ask you to join them in stitching a giant love letter at the Hayward Gallery this August

Posted on August 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

From 7pm -9pm on Thursday 25th August the Craftivist Collective are inviting the public to join them in stitching a giant love letter at the Hayward Gallery in response to Tracey Emin’s Retrospective.

Emin’s exhibition ‘Love Is What You Want’ explores the theme of love through her personal experiences of abortion, relationships, and sex, and her provocative personality and strong political views.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Guest appearances, Hand embroidery, London, Press & publicity

our experience with Canal+ TV crew filming us

Posted on August 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

It felt very strange for us to be filmed whilst crafting our mini protest banners at Paper Dress Boutique in Shoreditch, London. The presenter Alexandra of the documentary programme we will be in (October/November 2011) was really lovely and asking us questions about why we do craftivism, how we started and what we hope to get out of doing our little projects. We were filmed making our banners and then putting them up around Bank Station where many Bankers work. All of the banners are addressed to bankers to urge them to support the Robin Hood Tax.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Events, Guest appearances, London, Mini protest banners, Press & publicity

Join Robin Hood and his merry craftivists for French TV!

Posted on June 25, 2011 | 4 Comments

Where: Paper Dress Boutique, London. When: Wednesday 20th July 6:30pm-9pm. RSVP: craftivist-collective[at]hotmail[dot]com. 20 people max Cost: £3

Why are we doing this one off event? We are still angry with the vast inequality in the world: the impacted of the recession are hitting everyone harder every day yet the bank are slowing getting attacked less and less.

And the French TV Channel called Canal+ wants to film a craftivism session and we thought it was a great opportunity to raise awareness of UK anger towards the banks, show our support for the Robin Hood Tax (which the French Finance Minister has already publically supported) Continue reading →

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Cross-stitch, Events, London, Mini protest banners, Press & publicity

Mr X Stitch is getting involved in our Summer project so why don’t you too!

Posted on June 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Some London Craftivists got together last Wednesday (15th June) evening at the Royal Festival Hall cafe in the Southbank Centre to work on our summer craftivism project Don’t Blow It. Around 15 craftivists started stitching their personal messages for their local politicans on handkerchiefs. We had handkerchiefs from ebay, some donated (thanks Mr X Stitch!) and some people even made their own from reclaimed fabric (go Hannah!).

All messages where unique because every had different opinions of their MPs- some wanted to push their MPs into committing to be of a voice for their vulnerable constituents they were ignoring and other craftivist wanted to use their hanky to encourage their MP to keep up the good work they are doing to push for a more fair society in the UK and abroad.

We felt honoured to have the wonderful Mr X Stitch join us that evening. Mr X Stitch is at the forefront of the contemporary embroidery revival – his websiteand podcast showcase the latest stitched arts and inject a healthy dose of fun into the whole process. Mr X Stitch (Jamie) has been a supporter of ours for a few years now and had taken part in many of our projects including And Sew To Bed. Check out this video of him in the post

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Posted in Craftivism, Craftivists, Events, Hand embroidery, London, Press & publicity, project update, video