International Collaborating Makers’
residencies & practice
a strand of
‘Identity, Collaboration, Sustainability:
an online, international festival of craft’
Applied Arts Scotland hosted an international craft exchange project comprised of three international residencies which brought together makers from Mexico, Canada, Thailand and Scotland. All residencies explored the themes of identity, sustainability and collaboration, and investigated the strengths of craft as cultural production. Makers collaborated to explore one another’s identity, environment, skills, materials and techniques through discussion, mentorship and experimentation.
Makers’ insights into their residency experiences, including exploration of the themes and the work they created during and since, some of which is exhibited at Meet Make Collaborate, are provided per residency project and were expanded upon in the Identity, Collaboration, Sustainability: an online, international festival of craft, which took place Monday 27 – Thursday 30 September 2021.
Watch Makers’ Discussions and Studio Visits / Demonstrations presented in the festival programme on the Craft Festival 2021 Vimeo channel.
Residencies
- Designer Dalila Cruz (Oaxaca), weaver Soledad Ruiz Mendoza, Bii Dauu Collective (Oaxaca) & textile artist Fiona Hall, Camban Studio (Aberdeen)
- Knitwear designer Kate Davies, KDD & Co (west Scotland) & multidisciplinary designer Pilar Obeso Sánchez (Mexico City)
- Designer Dalila Cruz (Oaxaca), Bii Dau Collective (Oaxaca) & weaver Lynne Hocking-Mennie (Aberdeen)
- Interdisciplinary designer Kawisara Anansaringkarn, Coth Studio (Thailand) & jeweller Stefanie Cheong (Glasgow)
- Designer Prach Niyomkar, Mann Craft (Sakon Nakhon) & weaver Lynne Hocking-Mennie (Aberdeen)
- Visual artist Andrea Tsang Jackson, 3rd Story Workshop (Halifax, Nova Scotia) & weaver Cally Booker (Dundee)
- Jeweller Kiersten Holden-Ada, Fervour’s Own (Halifax, Nova Scotia) & artist Louise Barrington (Orkney)
- Jeweller Mengnan Qu (Halifax, Nova Scotia) & ceramicist Susan O’Byrne (Glasgow)
- Weaver Jennifer Green (Halifax, Nova Scotia) & basketmaker Sarah Paramor (Applecross)
- Jeweller Rebecca Hannon (Nova Scotia) & ceramic artist Carol Sinclair (Angus)
An insight into the experiences of the participating and exhibiting makers and the inspiration behind their new works can be found in a series of blogs written by the Scottish makers:
Cadáver Exquisito Inspired by Dressing Up & Rituals
A shared love of dressing up inspired textile designer Kate Davies and Pilar Obeso Sánchez to explore disguise and performance in traditional rituals in Mexico and Scotland.
Exploring the In-Between Nature of Ideas & Materials
Duality between landscapes and the in-between nature of their ideas connected artist Louise Barrington and jeweller Kiersten Holden-Ada during their residency.
Experimentation, New Perspectives & The Silk Road
Ceramicist Susan O’Byrne explains about her collaboration with jeweller Mengnan Qu and their decision to create new work using artifact forms from the Silk Road.The project was a partnership with the British Council Crafting Futures programme, including the British Council Mexico and British Council Thailand, Edinburgh College of Art and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. It was funded by Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
