Words: Emily Carlill
The Kirkstall Craftivists came together this week for their monthly meeting – and made canaries to join the campaign for a clearer world.
The group, led by crafter and member of the Leeds Craftivists group Laura Palmer, meet every third Monday of the month at Kirkstall Valley Development Trust’s community hub at Flexspace to create craft as a form of gentle campaigning.
The crafts are made through a different medium and technique each month and focus on different campaigns that can be local, national or world-wide; campaigns that the group feel passionate about and wish to support.
Whilst Kirkstall Craftivists only started in August, the group have created finger knitting to support the Save Kirkstall Footpaths campaign, painted cards to welcome refugees from Afghanistan to Leeds and, this week, sewed fabric canaries to promote clean air.
“The cards will be used to welcome Afghanistan refugees to Leeds and support residents living in Leeds who are concerned for the welfare of friends and family in Afghanistan.” Laura explains. “Craftivism is quiet and gentle activism but can still be powerful, engaging and highlight the compassion we share for our fellow humans and the earth.”
The Kirkstall Craftivists are seeing new members attend each session, finding out about craftivism, meeting others in the group, and getting involved in informal discussions about the cause whilst crafting and enjoying tea and biscuits.
Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow next month (COP26), this week’s Kirkstall Craftivist session saw the group create fabric canaries to join the larger, national #CanaryCraftivists project led by the Craftivist Collective in support of a cleaner, greener world.
The completed canaries will be sent to our local MPs as a gift, reminding them to help keep the climate crisis are the forefront of the political agenda and ask the UK Prime Minister to be bolder in his climate commitments.
Useful links:
- Find out more about #CanaryCraftivists and get involved!
- Free felt canary pattern
- See a letter to your MP template that you can use here.
- Find your MP
Join us at Kirkstall Craftivists – this group is open to all and is about bringing the community together, taking part in and creating a range of beautiful crafts to support well-being and make positive changes in our local area.
You are welcome to get involved in as much or as little as you like. Sign up to come along here. (Places are limited, so please book).