Craftspace – Details, episodes & analysis

As part of ⁠Made in the Middle⁠ we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

For over 20 years, Zohra has been reinvigorating the form of traditional Kurdish women’s caps, fashioning these ornate and vibrant objects to sell. Since seeking asylum in Birmingham, with the support of Brushstrokes Community Project, Zohra has not had access to materials or a sewing machine, so has been relying on clothing and jewellery donations and is continuing to make the caps by hand out of unwanted and second-hand materials.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of North American, South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

For over 20 years, Zohra has been reinvigorating the form of traditional Kurdish women’s caps, fashioning these ornate and vibrant objects to sell. Since seeking asylum in Birmingham, with the support of Brushstrokes Community Project, Zohra has not had access to materials or a sewing machine, so has been relying on clothing and jewellery donations and is continuing to make the caps by hand out of unwanted and second-hand materials.To read a transcript of this interview, head to our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

As part of ⁠Made in the Middle⁠ we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of North American, South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

For over 20 years, Zohra has been reinvigorating the form of traditional Kurdish women’s caps, fashioning these ornate and vibrant objects to sell. Since seeking asylum in Birmingham, with the support of Brushstrokes Community Project, Zohra has not had access to materials or a sewing machine, so has been relying on clothing and jewellery donations and is continuing to make the caps by hand out of unwanted and second-hand materials.To read a transcript of this interview, head to our ⁠website⁠.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

As part of ⁠Made in the Middle⁠ we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of North American, South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

Smashing Metal is a blacksmithing group run by Alex at Newbigin Community Trust in Handsworth, helping people to learn new skills and practice mindfulness. They started up during lockdown, and have gone on to work on a range of projects from sellable items to raise money for the Community Trust to recycling knives surrendered to the police.

To read a transcript of this interview, head to our website.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

As part of Made in the Middle we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

Rosie first learned to crochet from her mother during lockdown. Now as well as crochet Rosie knits, makes dolls and baubles from remnants of Indian fabric that belonged to her mother. 

To read a transcript of this interview, head to our ⁠website⁠.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

As part of Made in the Middle we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

Haleema shares her memories of learning embroidery and crochet from her mother, who was from Pakistan and how they embellished scarves using their skills. Later her mother-in-law worked and taught her more complicated designs that she could do alongside her domestic responsibilities. 

To read a transcript of this interview, head to our ⁠website⁠.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

As part of Made in the Middle we have been collecting stories of making in the Midlands that are influenced by migration.

We met with ‘everyday makers’ who craft for themselves, making at home, in a local studio or with a community. Through jewellery, pottery, crochet, textiles, blacksmithing and batik, their work celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Midlands. It highlights how craft skills that migrate with the makers influence creativity.

We met makers of South American, African, Caribbean, South Asian and East Asian heritage. They tell of a love for making and craft. Whether self-taught, passed down through family or shared within their community. It has been a privilege to work with them to weave together a rich tapestry of stories across the Midlands.

Ravinder Tagga, manager of the DOSTI group tells us about the women that meet weekly in Alum Rock. Meaning friendship, the DOSTI members make and share their skills in knitting, crochet, embroidery and paper flowers. To read a transcript of this interview, head to our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

Podcast created by Hayley Salter.

How can making with others and learning new skills support our mental health?

Birmingham based textile artist Sara Fowles has collected five stories of heritage, knitting and textiles in Birmingham’s Black community. 

In this episode she talks to Sarah S. Sammy.

Sarah is from Trinidad and Tobago. She is a scientist by trade, but a maker at heart. She has always been, in her words, "fiddling with some thing or another", trying to make and create. She can’t remember a time when making and creating wasn’t a part of her life, in fact, she comes from a family of makers. This rich background of makers means Sarah was always encouraged to learn and try new crafts.

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We're having a short break. We’ll be back in August with episode 5 which will feature the story of a group of Caribbean women who meet to craft in the context of making to support their church. This reflects the ethos of Dorcas Clubs, a social movement and form of craftivism which came back to England with the Windrush generation. -

This podcast series marks Windrush Day which, in 2023, celebrates 75 years since the ship’s arrival in the UK.

A podcast series by Sara Fowles about Black women knitters as part of ‘Yarning’ projects by Trevor Pitt.

This series was commissioned by ⁠Craftspace⁠, a charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about exceptional contemporary craft. We are based in Birmingham UK and work collaboratively regionally, nationally and internationally.

⁠Support us⁠.
⁠Transcript available on the Craftspace website.⁠

Do you value the skills that go into making clothes more when they’re handmade? Do you follow a pattern or go your own way?

Birmingham based textile artist Sara Fowles has collected five stories of heritage, knitting and textiles in Birmingham’s Black community. 

In this episode she talks to Venetia Headlam, a Black woman born and raised in Birmingham. She was taught to knit and crochet by her mother. Her family gatherings in her maternal grandparents’ home in Aston were the most memorable ties to her Caribbean heritage - paper plates piled with food, reggae, soca and R&B playing and the inevitable loud game of dominoes.

A podcast series by Sara Fowles about Black women knitters as part of '⁠⁠YARNING⁠⁠’ projects by Trevor Pitt.

This podcast series marks Windrush Day which, in 2023, celebrates 75 years since the ship’s arrival in the UK.

This series was commissioned by ⁠⁠Craftspace⁠⁠, a charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about exceptional contemporary craft. We are based in Birmingham UK and work collaboratively regionally, nationally and internationally.

⁠⁠Support us⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Transcript available on the Craftspace website.⁠

Learning to knit using bicycle spokes!

Birmingham based textile artist and Windrush descendant Sara Fowles has collected five stories of heritage, knitting and textiles in Birmingham’s Black community. 

In the second episode Sara talks to Selina Cheshire.

Selina grew up in rural Zimbabwe and came to Birmingham in 2002. Her mother was a teacher and loved sewing so from childhood she developed an interest in fashion, fabrics and textile skills. She and her friends taught each other to knit using grass and bicycle spokes! Later knitting became part of her therapy, healing and recovery when she was going through cancer treatment.

A podcast series by Sara Fowles about Black women knitters as part of '⁠YARNING⁠’ projects by Trevor Pitt.

This podcast series marks Windrush Day which, in 2023, celebrates 75 years since the ship’s arrival in the UK.

This series was commissioned by ⁠Craftspace⁠, a charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about exceptional contemporary craft. We are based in Birmingham UK and work collaboratively regionally, nationally and internationally.

⁠Support us⁠.
⁠Transcript available on the Craftspace website.⁠

A podcast series by Sara Fowles about Black women knitters as part of 'YARNING’ projects by Trevor Pitt

How can we ensure the oral histories and experiences of Black textile makers are documented and visible?

Birmingham based textile artist and Windrush descendant Sara Fowles has collected five stories of heritage, knitting and textiles in Birmingham’s Black community. 

The first episode is her own story of her relationship to knit and yarn, her family memories, how she learnt the skills, what knitting means to her and how it became a passion and obsession in her life and work. (The episode was recorded in 2022.)

This podcast series marks Windrush Day which, in 2023, celebrates 75 years since the ship’s arrival in the UK.

This series was commissioned by Craftspace, a charity creating opportunities to see, make and be curious about exceptional contemporary craft.
We are based in Birmingham UK and work collaboratively regionally, nationally and internationally.

Support us. Transcript available on the Craftspace website.