Free resources to help you on your crafty gentle protest journey
A Craftivist’s Manifesto (currently in 7 languages)
Craftivism is like the word ‘Punk’: under that term you have many different musicians with different styles and values. Similarly, ‘Craftivism’ has become a word to describe many activities that involve craft and activism, all executed with different strategies, styles and belief systems.
Sarah created this manifesto after 7 years of honing her craft in gentle craftivism and channelled that learning into making a checklist, framework and compass for craftivists around the world to use within their own culture and context.
Our manifesto has been used by teachers in primary schools as well as academics in universities. It hands in craft rooms, charity headquarters and many homes around the world. It was used by WWF to create their own campaign that successfully led to the law in Spain being changed to protect migrating birds!
We hope you can see it as s strong ethical root for our Craftivist to flourish from. You can download it as a PDF for free in the following languages:
A Chinese translation is on it’s way and if you know any skilled translators who might be able to donate their time to help us create even more manifestos in different languages please contact us.
Free E-Course with Alison.com
How can handicrafts be used as a tool to help create beautiful, kind and fair activist actions, serve social change successfully and manifest positive change in hearts, mind, policies and laws? This free online course focuses on Sarah Corbett’s unique ‘gentle protest’ approach to ‘craftivism’ or activism through crafting. This course provides frameworks, practical case studies and craftivism projects you can deliver yourself.
Created with Alison.com and based on my book How To Be A Craftivist: the art of gentle protest.
Alison.com creates courses in a way that can be viewed and used anywhere in the world including low-speed internet access. It is a non-for-profit social enterprise.
There are so many free resources online hosted by others. Here are just a few
This playlist contains gentle, hopeful songs, chosen with the help of Dr Catherine Loveday, principle neuroscience lecturer at University of Westminster, who has researched the psychological effects of music and memory. They’ll help you whether you are alone or crafting with others, to create an empowering environment so that you can use the comfort of crafting with your hands to help with the deep thinking needed about the complexities of the issue you are addressing and how you can protest lovingly and effectively to create genuine change.
These songs are a mix of voices from different countries, ethnicities, genders, ages, perspectives, genres and times in history. They do not use violent language or sweeping statements that fuel polarisation. The order of the songs was created to enable campaigners to go on an emotional journey and to allow sadness as well as joy in a healthy way. Listen alone or with others (with your craftivism or without) to help you rest, reflect and response to social change from a healthy and proactive not reactive way.
How a gentle protest with hand-embroidered hankies helped bring higher wages for retail employees
Podcast episode of Material Matters with Grant Gibson
Part of the critically acclaimed podcast series. Designers, Design academics and students often find this podcast useful. Grant Gibson is a UK-based design, craft and architecture writer and podcaster whose work has been published The Observer, New Statesman, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, FRAME, Dwell, House & Garden and quite a few others. He was also the launch editor of the London Design Festival Guide. Grant was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Art in 2011 and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Panel discussion: Looking to the future and bridging polarized divides (1hr)
Hosted by 1014. In the heart of New York City, 1014 brings people together from both sides of the Atlantic to creatively engage with today’s global topics. Division is all around us. There is evidence that polarization is spreading far beyond politics to other walks of life. Young people, in particular, are showing less faith in democracy. How might things play out? What can be done about it? Against this backdrop, is a discussion and Q&A with leading thinkers and practitioners who can help those of us who want to bridge divides and chart a path to success. Featuring me, Salma Mousa, Assistant Professor, Yale University and Alison Smith, Lecturer, University of Oxford. Chaired by Alison Goldsworthy, CEO of the The Depolarization Project and Co-author of “Poles Apart”.
Panel discussion: Hope Against Hope: Creative, Gentle, and Strong: Craftivism and Climate Change (52mins)
Zoom event hosted by University of Glasgow’s Theology and Religion department. Feminist theologian, Anna Fisk, join in conversation with Sarah P Corbett and Clare Radford (University of Manchester) to explore spirituality, activism and generative responses to the climate crisis.
Coming soon with your help: Filmed in-conversation events between Sarah and activist Helen Pankhurst, design expert Tom Dyckhoff, neuroscientist Dr Danbee Kim and academic Dr Roselind Sinclair delving into where craft can be a powerful tool for social change. These films will be on YouTube and snippets on social media. Help us fundraise for these timeless and universal resources to be made here (please) x