The Craftivist Collective Handbook

Vorwort

• Promotion through author’s highly popular social media channels.

• Advance copies to indie booksellers.
• Online crafting demos to coincide with publication.
• Outreach to bookstores near or with knitting shops.
• Limited edition tote bags and pin badges.
• Social media handles: @craftivists (Instagram), @Craftivists (X).

Autorentext
Sarah P. Corbett is an award-winning activist, author and Ashoka Fellow. She founded the global Craftivist Collective in 2019 after demand from around the world from people wanting to join in her projects and events. An introvert born and raised in a low-income area of Liverpool in the 1980s, she saw the effect inequality could have on communities first hand and took part in local and global campaigns. Working with diverse organisations from Save the Children to The Climate Coalition, Crafts Council and Maker Faires, Victoria and Albert Museum to Secret Cinema, she helped to create the new Girlguiding UK Craftivism Badge and is passionate about bringing loving effective activism into new spaces to reach new audiences. She lives in London.

Zusammenfassung

Twenty Gentle Protest craft projects to help you make a positive difference in our world.

If we want our world to be more beautiful, kind and fair, can we make our activism more beautiful, kind and fair? ‘Gentle Protest’ is a unique methodology of strategic, compassionate and visually intriguing activism using handicrafts as a tool. Since its creation in 2009, the award-winning global Craftivist Collective has helped change laws, policies, hearts and minds around the world as well as expand the view of what activism can be.

Dreams inspire positive action, so stitch a Dream Cloud to hang up at home or work and prompt you to think past a problem to the solution. Sew a Gentle Nudge Label to help keep your conscience sharp and your spirit strong. Craft your own Mini Protest Banner to turn heads and influence change, or fly solidarity’s flag for those suffering as a result of the world’s injustices. Stitch a Handmade Hedgerow to champion one of the solutions to the climate crisis or if you are nervous about protesting in public or if there’s a ban on public rallies where you live, let a doll speak your truth by creating a Toy Protest.

This handbook is for everyone, wherever you are in the world: whether you are a skilled crafter or a burnt-out activist, an introvert, highly sensitive person, or struggling with anxiety or overwhelm. These 20 projects and tools use the slow, soothing and thoughtful process of craft to help channel feelings of sadness, anger or powerlessness into proactive, encouraging effective actions to help make hope possible.

Inhalt

16 How to use this book

16 Introduction

20 Our principles in action 

22 Glossary

24 Choosing supplies

26 Stitch guide

28 Inner craftivism

32 Setting up your area

34 Crafterthoughts playlist

36 Your crafterthoughts

38 Project 1: Dream-making Cloud

46 Project 2: Stitchable Changemakers

54 Project 3: Thoughtful Footprint 

62 Project 4: Gentle Protester

Eye Mask

67 Gentle Protest playlist

68 Wear your convictions

72 Project 5: Heart-on-Sleeve Badge 

80 Project 6: Gentle Nudge Labels 

86 Project 7: Affirmation Belt

90 Project 8: Loving Luggage Tags

96 Communication is key

100 Gentle Protest language

102 The Craftivist Collective in the media

104 Working with your local press 

105 Effective social media strategies

106 Aesthetics for altruism

110 Gentle Protest colours

114 Typography for Gentle Protest

118 Gifts for powerholders

122 Project 9: ‘Don’t Blow It’ Handkerchief

132 Project 10: Encouraging Greetings 

138 Project 11: Mini Fashion Statements

146 Street craftivism

150 Project 12: Mini Protest Banner 

158 Project 13: Supportive Stitched Notes

164 Project 14: Display of Discontent 

170 Project 15: Toys Protest

176 Communal craftivism

180 Setting up an event

182 How to facilitate a craftivist gathering

186 Project 16: Canary Beak 

194 Project 17: Giant Petition

200 Collaborative craftivism

204 Project 18: ‘Stitch for Solidarity’ Bunting

210 Project19:HandmadeHedgerow

216 Project 20: ‘I’m a Piece’ Jigsaw Installation

224 Craft your own campaign

228 Your craftivism campaigns 230 Letting go

231 Conclusion

232 Templates

241 Citations

244 Acknowledgments 245 Contributors

246 Supporters