weaving Voices 01.04.2025 issuu - Flipbook - Page 42
organisers of the week, Teresa Brayshaw and Hannah Butterfield,
and myself, the groundwork had begun long before, as I assisted my
UK based colleagues with the preparations. This involved gathering
materials for weaving and designing two looms. One loom was
dedicated to weaving with participants in Leeds City Square – an
activity spanning three days, led by Teresa Brayshaw, which included
half of our group. The other loom was designated for installing our
unfinished tapestry weave, started in Amsterdam. This frame was
placed in a non-public room at the Leeds City Museum, where an
interaction occurred between a group of sanctuary seekers and the
remaining members of our Weaving Voices group, led by Hannah
Butterfield.
Designing something for public use in a public space seemed and
felt abstract, especially since I lacked familiarity with the space, the
audience, or the creators involved. It brought me back to meetings
I attended as a young intern at the design department of a Dutch
fashion brand. During these meetings, samples – which I saw as
clothes – sewn in a factory in Bangladesh, would be fitted and
discussed. The Dutch designers often expressed dissatisfaction with
the execution of their designs, feeling they were misinterpreted.
These meetings made me want to trace these misunderstandings to
their origin. I pondered how the technical drawings of the clothes
were interpreted by factory workers in Bangladesh, who may not
have had formal education or understood our alphabet. This memory
offers a glimpse into the fashion and textile industry’s transformation
after the massive shift in the 1970s and 1980s to relocate production
to low-labour-cost countries. This dispersed industry, where western
designers have their work produced by people on the other side
of the world, in poor conditions, likely results in disconnection,
miscommunication and ideas being lost in translation.
trust. Knowing that we all are accustomed to improvising and making
do with whatever outcome appears, also fostered the confidence in
our collaboration. Working alongside the Leeds City of Culture 2023
organisation and the community-focused Mill Hill Chapel, located
near the square, brought new dimensions to the collaboration.
Despite the complexity this introduced, the opportunities it
presented far outweighed the challenges. These included increased
exposure for our activities, enhanced engagement with the local
community (including the diverse groups associated with Mill
Hill Chapel), volunteer assistance, and a space to gather, prepare
materials, and safeguard our collective weave overnight.
The difference between our approach and the example of the
Dutch fashion brand lies not in the nature of the products, but
in the process itself. While the products themselves may not be
directly comparable, there are valuable insights to be gathered
from analysing the processes involved. These insights, particularly
those related to humanising aspects, can be applied and integrated
into any collaborative effort conducted overseas. One significant
aspect, in my opinion, lies in the time we dedicated to establishing
our collaborative framework. Virtual meetings played a crucial
role in facilitating communication among all involved partners,
enabling us to listen to each other’s wishes and concerns, and to
comprehend the respective choices, boundaries, and opportunities
of each partner. Additionally, the prior in-person collaboration
between Teresa and myself facilitated a more integrated approach
to our work. Our familiarity with each other’s capabilities, and time
commitments, amidst our individual responsibilities, allowed us to
better understand each other’s efforts and gauge when sufficient
input had been gathered to achieve a tangible outcome. This
resulted in the successful creation of two looms for weaving new
carpets and the progression of an unfinished carpet.
Reflecting on my own challenges in designing looms intended to
be used by the public within a public art installation overseas, I
recognise the importance of communication and trust. This was
exemplified by instances such as a spontaneous video call where
Teresa shared her first experience of being in the art installation with
me. Additionally, formerly working together in person and Teresa’s
previous experience with a loom in Amsterdam further solidified our
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