Thinking Through Stitching Short Course

Taught through a combination of lectures and practical exercises, this course explores making, reflection and discussion and how this can add value to creative practice.

During the course, students gain an insight into both practical and reflective skills that will enrich their creative practice. Students learn the traditional technique of kantha stitching and apply it to create a personalised silk scarf, developing patience, precision and sensitivity to materials. Alongside this, they'll consider stitching as a reflective process, using metaphors of tension, pattern, repair and repetition to think about their own projects.

The slow, meditative rhythm of stitching will help students cultivate resilience and find new perspectives on creative blockages, while the communal stitching circle fosters dialogue, collaboration and peer support. Students finish the course with a completed artifact that embodies their journey of inquiry and a set of reflective tools they can take into future artistic and academic work.

Please note: there may be an off-site visit to an exhibition during the course.

This course would be an excellent fit for creative arts students or practicing artists and designers, as well as interdisciplinary and postgraduate researchers looking for fresh approaches to creative blocks. The course could also suit community makers, craftspeople, or hobbyists interested in deepening the reflective dimension of their work.

The course would also be a great choice for professionals in fields like art therapy, wellbeing, or education who want to explore stitching as a reflective and communal practice.

Level of experience: beginners / intermediate

Desirable experience: some experience in stitching is desirable, but you will be taught how to do basic stitching.