We hope that these projects encourage people think about the messages whilst they stitch or see the product, discuss these issues with their friends and family and are inspired to act to make the world a better place in whatever way they can to support their global neighbours. All projects are ongoing and can be done when convenient for you (unless it explicitly says differently)
We hope to encourage craftivists all over the world to perform these projects and send us the evidence and their thoughts to us and then we can blog about it. People can craft on their own, as a group of friends or use the project as an excuse for a craftivism event with the public. You can buy kits here and we are hoping to create kits for each project below. If you need any extra help deliver your project just contact us! Don’t forget that the projects messages have to fit in with our manifesto of exposing the scandal of poverty and human rights abuses.
Mini protest banners
These are our most successful and requested projects. The concept is to make a small unthreatening protest banner on a global justice or poverty issue that you care about. Then you put it up (with cable ties) in a relevant public space. Then we explain the saying and location in more detail on our webite. You can find some of our Mini Protest Banners here, and you can watch our instruction video on YouTube here.
Alternative Valentines Cards
Lovingly made and hidden around the world by craftivists. Each envelope contains an alternative valentine’s letter, a handmade gift (designed by Tatty Devine jewellery designers) and a sweet. Hand delivered to gaps in walls, cash machine slots, shop shelves- they weren’t affected by the postal delays and you don’t have to be in a relationship to have one of these!
These are valentine’s cards with a difference: the letter is written from a person from a developing country asking for people to show love for people suffering and vulnerable in the world.
There are so many distractions in life, particularly on Valentines Day. Hopefully these cards are a friendly reminder of the difficult circumstances our global neighbours are in and the gifts are there to encourage a conversation to start even after Valentine’s Day. We have all the resources you need: template letter, instructions video, Tatty Devine keyring design, and examples of where to plan the letters
Don’t Blow It handkerchiefs:
Hand embroidering personal messages to your MP in handkerchiefs given to you, found, bought in second hand shops or you have made. The messages will be asking your MPs to use the power and influence the role gives them to really make a positive difference during their elected time, to keep fighting for justice and remind them that you are holding them to account if they go against their constituents demands. We hope that they keep their handmade hanky to help motivate them to show their love for our global neighbours and environment. Find video, images and more here
Cross-stitch graffiti
This is a great way to make people think about the message you have written, in a non-threatening, interesting way. It’s also good because it’s temporary – you can cut the wool off.
Barbie provoking thought:
Buy a second hand Barbie or any small doll, use paint, pen or what we used here: stamp ink to rub into her so she looks bruised and battered. Make her a placard and tie her up with gaffer tape. Find a good fact, statistic or quote which will provoke people to talk about gender inequality and put that on the placard. Leave your Barbie wrapped around a bar in a public place and take a photograph. Email us the photograph and an explanation of your message on the placard and where you left it. We will blog it. Find out more information on gender inequality on our blog here
Embroideries Campaign
This is a project we are helping the Shoreditch Sisters with called Embroideries.
We are encouraging people to create their own vagina patch (15cm by 15cm) and send them to us to make into a giant quilt handing that will be displayed in March 2011: the process of creating your vagina should help break down taboos about this female organ, remind people how beautiful and unique they are and encourage people to openly challenge this practice.
Cross-stitched Masks:
Join us in creating cross-stitched masks to leave on statues and shop mannequins. You can use it as a platform to talk about sweatshoips and place them on shop mannequins in unethical stores, put them on outdoor statues such as the above and link it to the surrounding area. The possibilities are endless. See other mask coverage on Mr X Stitch here and more information on this project here
“And Sew To Bed” project
for Bluecoat Gallery’s Bed-In 2010 to celebrate the anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed In
We are working with The West Everton Community Council to take part in the Liverpool Bluecoat Bed-In to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th birthday. The Bluecoat event takes part from October 9 – December 9, 2010: our Bed-In is on December 1, 2010.
During our Bed-In we want to raise awareness of global issues in our own community and amongst the people of Merseyside. We may represent a specific community but we come with our global concerns to a bed in the Bluecoat. We want to raise awareness of national and international inequality and demand change – we want to see an end to the social chasm between those who have and those who need. Ours is a peaceful protest that wishes to engage all people in crafty action: Craftivism! We will make lovely stuff and change the world by stealth and beauty.
We will be engaging in craftivism activities in bed. We will sew and stitch our way to peace. Before the bed-in we will be collecting patches from craftivists across the world. So are we have over 100 patches from all over the UK, Canada, America, Australia and Germany. This project will continue after the bed in and our quilt will grow and grow. For more information go here and for our instructions video go here
Railway Adventures:
We collaborated with Climate Rush to fight for fair transport fares. On 10th April craftivists across the UK held ‘Stitch-In’s at train stations. We sat in train stations on picnic blankets, drinking tea, eating jam sandwiches whilst crafting petitions in the shape of train carriages to be added to our train petition bunting. It was a noon-threatening, kitch but thought provoking craftivism project. Find out more here
Badges to provoke conversation
Have you ever been asked: Do you care?
We have made these badges with many different groups of people of all ages and backgrounds on themes of poverty and corruption. They are speech bubbles. The point of them is to make people ask you about the slogan you put on. This one asks ‘Do you Care?’ and many people have commented on it when we wear them. It is open ended enough for you to ask people: ‘do you care about the effect your actions have on the poorest people in the world’, ‘do you care about climate change’ or anything you are passionate about. Again, its a great way to make people think without shouting at them in an aggressive way (which one reason many people are scared of activists). One member of the public wrote on hers “I’m not poor, I’m broke” and said he will wear it in work to talk to his colleagues about how lucky they are to have minimum wage when people in the world are living on less than $1 a day.
It’s a great conversation starter into talking about global poverty and social justice issues.
We are contributors to Norwegian artist Lise Bjørne Linnert’s ongoing project:
DESCONOCIDA UNKNOWN UKJENT
The project uses the art of embroidery to highlight and protest against human trafficking and femicide, specifically in the city of Ciudad Juarez on the Mexican border. Since 1993, 800 women have been brutally murdered in Ciudad Juarez and hundreds more have gone missing, while the Mexican government turns a blind eye. Prostitution in the region has increased 400% in the same time period.
The project asks the public to hand sew the name of one murdered woman on each label alongside the word “unknown”, in remembrance of the hundreds of unidentified victims of similar crimes worldwide. The project is a mass act of solidarity. So far, 2100 individuals in 27 countries have embroidered more than 4000 labels. The Craftivist Collective are adding to that figure and helping to spread awareness of these atrocities.
An installation of the labels will be on show at PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY in Chichester in October 2010. If you would like to obtain labels to make your own contribution, contact Pallant House directly. This project continues after this exhibition and continue to tour around the world
Further information:
ON THE ARTIST
ON THE INSTALLATION
Defaced posters & postcards
One of our craftivists, Sophie, said she was getting annoyed by seeing all the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ posters (that were made after WW2 for UK Citizens) everywhere and feeling that we are in such an important time with the UK General Elections coming up, climate change effecting the poorest people in the world now and people still being treated unfairly that we shouldn’t be keeping calm but doing something about it to improve our lives!
Now you can find that image on posters, cards, towels, mugs, you name it and they are expensive to buy. We hope that people can use this image, deface it and encourage people to act to make the world a better place (i.e. hang the defaced poster in your window, give the defaced card to a friend, the possibilities are endless!)
Thoughtful Bunting
Create your own bunting messages to leave around areas you think could be more pretty and where people walk past. Hopefully your bunting will make people think about your message.
Be A Star incentive
We made these kits for a Christmas event we did but they should be ok for any time of the year.
They are felt keyrings with stuffing inside and fabric paint slogans on saying ‘I’m a star’. To go with the keyring we made paper tags out of rubbish so it could be recycled. On the tags we asked people to write down how people can ‘be a star’ this Christmas to help the world fulfil its potential and show our love for our global neighbours. People could choose to give their gift to a friend or leave in a public place for someone to find.
We hope that people use the keyring and it helps them feel motivated to do something good in the world to combat injustices and global poverty.
Climate Countdown
At our joint event with the Craft Guerrillas in November 2009 some craftivists and members of the public made quite a few clocks out of second hand books on the the environment and climate change leading up to the world climate change conference in Cophenhagen. We have put them up in libraries, coffee shops and public places with tags on to get people thinking about climate change and how we are running out of time to slow down global warming and live more envirnomentally friendly. We are also trying to remind people to campaign to the world leaders in time for the UN Copenhagen conference where they will discuss this issue. The poorest people in the world are getting hit the hardest and right now by climate change which is so unjust!
A call to vote
One of our lovely craftivists Rosa made these beautiful cross stitch patterns (this is one of 4. The others can be found on our Flickr account) for people to use. You can make them in to Mini Protest Banners, patches for your clothes or accessories, whatever way you think people will see it and think about the importance of voting
Ethical Cupcakes with a message:
Everyone loves cake so why don’t you remind people how easy it is to make ethical cupcakes but also enjoy them with a cup of tea and chat about cocoa farmers rights and the effects climate change is having on them, or the fact that most farmers in the global south are women and how being a woman can make having a farm business even more difficult. On top of that you can raise money for charity by selling them or leave them under clear plastic cups for people to take and then talk about the little flag of information in the cake.
