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The Challenge |
Stephanie
Tristam on behalf of Shetland College of Textiles and Design, Lerwick
project Partner to On the Edge 18.12.01
www.ontheedgeresearch.org
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"Makers ⁄ Knitters
are important to Shetland and are about what Shetland is
in a social and cultural sense. We are interested in valuing
tradition,
using traditional methods but with contemporary materials
bringing about a transformation so that we become more aware."
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The artist's response |
Susan Benn, Director of Performing Arts Labs (PAL)
www.pallabs.org
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"As the Director
of PAL I create, with lots of other people, an environment
in which new thinking and ways of working
happen through collective chemistry, It is what I call ‘the
pressure cooker’ factor. Certainly in the beginning
there is a lot of discomfort and dislocation that make
people ask questions about their practice, about their
place in the group, their core values as a person.
The collaboration
with Shetland College aims to bring contemporary hand
and machine knitters of the Shetland Islands together
with a group of artists and academics, from a range of
disciplines, to stimulate new work and new ways of working.
This creativity should extend into the building of appropriate
infrastructure so that new works find viable markets
through the support of organisations such as Shetland Enterprise
Company.” |
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What has happened?
The Maakin Lab (Maakin - Shetlandic
for making and is synonymous with knitting)
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- Individual participants
from Shetland and further afield were nominated by Maggie Marr,
Stephanie Tristam, Susan Benn and the On the Edge research team,
including lace knitters, traditional hand and machine knitters,
representatives of the craft sector, education as well as artists
and designers interested in the issues.
People were selected
on the basis of the experience and skills they could bring to
the lab and an interest in developing their
own work through the shared experience of the lab. The skills
included creativity in art, craft and design; technical knowledge
and skills; knowledge of the industry; knowledge and skill transfer
through education, cultural and historical knowledge of Shetland
knitting and practice-led research in art and design.
- An eight day residential pilot
lab took place 16–23
May 2003 at Burrastow House in Walls then at the Department of
Design
and Textiles, Shetland College, Lerwick. A range of ideas emerged
to be further developed, produced, exhibited, published and
marketed.
- The Lab participants met together
again in 3rd September 03 and 16th and 17th Febuary 04 to reflect
on the experience and
plan
the next stages.
- The ongoing development of prototype ideas,
ranging from knitted garments to an educational resource
for use in education, continues.
(link to lab outcomes).
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