Touchy Textiles

The exhibition (12noon-6pm) and workshop (11am-1pm), invites visitors to handle the artworks to explore the power of touch, where different surfaces can evoke past memories, thoughts and feelings.  Featuring work by Rosina Godwin and EK Gerdin-Miosga the show considers touch from both a feminist and mental health prospective.

Textiles are intertwined with everyday life – they are with us from birth to death, and mark many of life’s important events.  The tactile sensation of touch can evoke past memories of nurture and security, or elicit feelings of disgust and apprehension.  The therapeutic properties of touch, is currently used in care homes to improve the wellbeing of the elderly and dementia sufferers, while also being beneficial for everyone. 

Participants will be able to combine stitch with mixed media, to create their own personal memory cloth, using a variety of techniques:- 

• Quilting, using multi-layers to symbolise buried emotions and memories.
• Darning and patching, as a metaphor for emotional repair and healing.
• Texture and colour, using both stitch and appliqué, to explore moods and feelings.

All levels of ability are welcome.  The workshop is aimed at adults with an interest in textiles, wishing to create an experimental piece of mixed media art.  There will be demonstrations of basic embroidery techniques, and a display of samples and sketchbooks to inspire further exploration after the session.

Entry to the workshop is free, but by ticket only - please book on Eventbrite.  The exhibition is open all day to everyone, please drop by!

This event is part of the Antiuniversity Now festival 15-22 June 2019. See the full programme on www.antiuniversity.org.