What can yarn tell us about place?
We welcome you to our community-led arts project bringing together residents and students in collaborative knitting during this time of distancing through Summer 2021
What to Know
Knitting Together? But how?
As part of the wider contemporary community awareness and redevelopment of the town, this project brings together a collective of 40 participants into a collaborative (yet distributed) knitting project to fabricate a one of a kind 'tomographic map' of Galashiels. Twenty students/alumni and 20 local residents are paired up to talk, reflect, and explore their memories of place within Galashiels--created through individual knitted panels.
Tomographic Mapping
Unlike a typical topographical map made of contour lines, the tomographic map explores the many layers, identities, and perspectives of your collaborative experiences. Each of your memories of Galashiels provides a unique way to be stitched, sewn or knotted onto our collective map.
Distributed Making
Craftmaking has been a part of human culture for thousands of years and has enabled people to connect across distance before the Information, Industrial and Mechanical ages. Through modern digital connectivity these practices are augmented allowing us to communicate and make in new ways. Knitted Tomographies enables this
FAQ
What is Knitted Tomographies?
Knitted Tomographies is a small community arts project that focuses on shared experiences across time and distance represented through the craft of knitting/crocheting/weaving. It runs from March - June 2021.
What are you trying to do?
We are bringing together residents of Galashiels and students/alumni of the School of Textiles and Design to knit and fabricate a unique town model/map to install as part of greater Placemaking Initiatives across Scotland during this period of social distancing.
What will I have to do if I want to participate?
As a volunteer participant you will be asked to engage in a collaborative grouping with another participant. You will tasked to meet online regularly to discuss your perspectives/memories of Galashiels and come up with your own interpretation in a fabricated 210mm x 210mm panel. You will also be tasked to engage in a monthly online call over the four months of the project and to provide some reflective/progress imagery and thoughts of the work either through this website or your own social media platform. We do have funds to assist in material purchases for the project.
Do I have to take part in the whole project?
This project is purely on a volunteer basis and you are able to freely leave if you desire. WE do, however, hope and expect that once you join the project that you are able to commit to the delivery of pieces and participate through the entirety of the project.
Who is sponsoring this?
This project is sponsored by a generous grant from the Energise Galashiels Trust enabled through the Placemaking Initiative of the Scottish Government and an Engagement Grant from Heriot-Watt University. It is also managed by staff and students of the long standing Galashiels institution of the School of Textiles and Design of Heriot-Watt University.