Earlier this year, I was so pleased to get funding from the Willson Grant to run a Handweaving in the Community project. This saw me delivering 10 weaving sessions in two local residential settings for learning disabled adults. Participants took to the new craft very quickly and made some beautiful work. I chose to use rigid heddle looms as they are the most accessible (and portable) looms that I have encountered so far.
It was lovely to work with some women who had complex learning disabilities and help them to gain a level of independence over the craft - one support worker said 'I haven't seen her [the participant] this happy and engaged in ages' - she was so delighted with her finished woolly scarf!
Participants at the other house really enjoyed the workshops too, one young autistic man wove at high speed once he got into it and created two scarves in five sessions - he was really pleased to give one to his mum for her birthday. We also had a good time talking about British sheep wool and looking for local fruit and vegetables at the supermarket. It was great that these sessions helped to spark conversations about sustainability and our impact on the planet.
Once these sessions had finished, two of the participants went on to co-deliver weaving workshops in the community with me. I wanted to create paid employment opportunities for learning disabled people through weaving and believing in the potential, even before visiting Saori Toyosaki in Japan this year, I had built it into my project too.
We ran two community workshops - one at the Hive in Peasedown St John and one at Unit 14 in Midsomer Norton, both of which went really well. We then had a whole bell tent to ourselves at the Radstock Fayre and ran coaster making sessions all day, which were so popular with children - one child said 'I just want to carry on weaving forever!'
I have now just received funding from the Elmgrant Trust to continue the project and I think my co-delivery partners will be delighted! One of the co-facilitators, was particularly eager to carry on with the project and said ‘I’d love to help out again, we need to look at getting some more funding’ - so now I can tell him the good news.
We will be booking in some rigid heddle workshop dates, in the Somer Valley and Mendip area soon - do keep an eye out!
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