Craft Action Collective features a variety of craft techniques, themes and issues in the news. Here’s some examples of previous sessions, to give you an idea of what to expect.
2023 sessions
17 January: New Year, New News: Which headline do you think is most important? Using paper cutting techniques inspired by artist Myriam Dion, we’ll recycle, alter, cut and snip to ask questions about how we tell the news and what happens after it hits the recycling bin.
7 February: Weave a thread through the news and the issues. How can we make and think more permanently and consistently about the news stories which make us think, cry or shout? We’ll be using simple and gentle sewing techniques to think more carefully about issues that make us stop and think.
21 February: It’s pancake day! Join us for some feasting together. One of the original reasons for Pancake day was to combat food waste. How can we think about waste, value and sharing in today’s society?
7 March: Headline news: bringing together paper cutting and sewing techniques, we’ll gather together and discuss how and why the world’s news is reduced to a single front page. What impact does this have on how we think about the news? We’ll experiment by making our own large-scale front page.
21 March Wintergreen oil transfer and paper rubbing techniques: Learning Wintergreen oil transfer* and using paper rubbing techniques to think about how we define if something is valuable? Monetary worth, the market or the fact it’s made by human hand? SAW’s exhibition Light Hands (with Lighter Hearts) uses print and textile to compare personal possessions and museum objects, questioning the systems which prescribe value to each of them. Facilitated by artists Alice Wong & Inés Buchanan. This session was previously advertised as 7th March.
*Wintergreen oil transfer is a technique which allows you to transfer an image onto paper, whilst also giving a lovely hand-crafted look.
Tue 4 April & Tue 2 May: Weaving friendliness Our everyday interactions can brighten each other’s lives. Whether it’s saying hello to a shop assistant or talking to a stranger about the weather, all these small interactions combat loneliness. By making spirograph string art, we’ll think about the importance of these small interactions.
Please note there will be no session on 18 April
Tue 16 May & Tue 6 June: News, friendship & common ground In a world at odds, how do we talk to each other about the news, avoid being an echo chamber and disagree well with our friends? We’ll use thread, weaving and zine techniques to work out how we can find common ground.
Tue 20 June: Imprinted Clay Bowls (Part 1 – forming & shaping) We’ll make clay bowls imprinted with the weaving we’ve made over the last few sessions, to remind us of the importance of connections. You can also bring along fabric, textures or small objects, which remind you of friends, to imprint your bowls with. Booking required for this session – Please email gemma@saw-newcastle.org
Tue 4 July: Imprinted Clay Bowls (Part 2 – painting) We’ll finish the imprinted clay bowls we made last session by painting and decorating them further. Booking required for this session – Please email gemma@saw-newcastle.org
Tuesday 18th July, 6:30 – 8pm
We’ll be finishing off our News, friendship and common ground collages, using thread, weaving and zine techniques to work out how we can find common ground.
We’ll also be joining them together into a large collage. If you haven’t been to previous sessions, don’t worry – you’ll still be able to start your own collage.
Also as part of this session, I’ll be looking for your thoughts and ideas about what you’d like to see at Craft Action from September onwards.
August – no sessions
Tuesdays 5 & 19 September, 6:30 – 8pm Every Little Helps badges… Make beautiful 3D badges out of old receipts*. By repurposing throwaway paper into jewellery, we’ll be thinking about waste, food, the cost of living and the role of the supermarket in our lives.
*Bring your own receipts along if you’d like to.
Tuesdays 3 & 17 October, 6:30 – 8pm Printmaking: Inspired by the work of artist Corita Kent, we’ll be printing with letters, shapes and textures. Printmaker Corita Kent used images from food packaging, alongside quotes and speech bubbles to think about themes of justice and everyday life.
21 November printing ’round up’ – gathering together a few different techniques to make more prints
7 November (originally advertised as 21 November), Making the everyday art: collage inspired by Corita Kent we’ll be using collage, paper cutting and photocopying techniques to think about how everyday images can spark questions about the world. Printmaker Corita Kent used images from food packaging, alongside quotes and speech bubbles to think about themes of justice & everyday life.
21 November printing ’round up’ – gathering together a few different techniques to make more prints
5 December: We’ll make beautiful Spiral star wreaths to remind us what we’ve been thankful for this year, and our hopes (both personal and global) for next year.
2022 sessions
Tue 12 & 26 Apr, 6.30-8pm // Craft Action Collective: Seed paper & printing
On 12 April*, collectively create seed paper and chat about why and how we should care for the natural world as individuals and as community.
*The 12 April session has been postponed. This session will provisionally now take place on Tuesday 14th June, 6:30 – 8pm.
On 26 April, we’ll respond to eco issues through the medium of print. Our prints will incorporate our seed paper to create a unique conversation starter.
Tue 10 & 24 May, 6.30-8pm // Craft Action Collective: Dyes from plants
On 10 May, we’ll make inks and dyes using plants commonly recognised as weeds.
On 24 May, we’ll block print and paint napkins with our plant-based dyes. Using natural patterns and colours attractive to bees, we’ll explore bees’ connection to the food we eat and how best to protect them
June dates: Seed paper & printing
14 June, Craft session: create seed paper and chat about why and how we should care for the natural world as individuals and as a community.
28 June, Print session: printing textures, patterns and letterpress to draw attention to eco issues
Tue 12 July, Lino printing session: inspired by wildflowers & vegetables in the SAW garden
Tue 26 July Making fabric succulents & sedumsWe’ll be making fabric succulents and sedums together. You don’t need to be confident with a sewing needle for this, as we’ll be using fabric glue, although you’re welcome to add some sewing if you would like.
6 September: Making bird boxes
We’ll construct homes for birds which will be distributed around the local area. We’ll be thinking about how we can create better homes for wildlife in our local area. Booking is required for this session – please email the address below.
20 September: Photo & magazine image transfer
Who in power would you like to have a conversation with? Using an image transfer technique which enables you to turn any magazine cutting or laser printout into a sticker for collage or zine making, we’ll think about the power that conversations and stories hold.
4 October: Using Print & mark making to think further about why conversations and stories are important, and how we can make sure everyone’s story is heard.
18 October: Making simple books & zines as a way to think about stories, questions and protest. We’ll use the prints we’ve made in the previous two sessions to make the pages.
1 November: Stamp, fold, collage and make zines- continuing with some of the craft techniques we’ve done over the past few weeks as a way to think about stories, questions and protest. Join in whether or not you’ve been to Craft Action before. This session will also include a reminder of the book making and copy transfer techniques we did during October – so pop along if you missed those sessions or would like to run through the techniques again.
15 November: making shaker window pages which reveal or hide different stories, in order to think about what we would like the future to reveal. Using lavender harvested from SAW’s garden.
6 December, Advent craft social: Make a Christmas decoration, think about the past year and future hopes. Munch on mince pies & festive snacks.