Abstract
This project explores the intersection of craft, storytelling, and community health, drawing from my doctoral research project that involved working with communities of craftspeople to create a series of artefacts based on individuals’ oral histories. Through the process of learning new skills and making artefacts, participants found a cathartic way to connect and share stories. Glenn Adamson sums up the connection between making, learning and the self perfectly; as you shape the material, it shapes you right back. You are learning the process the whole time that you are engaged in it (Adamson, 2018, p. 28).
In February 2022, I collaborated with the organisation Men in Sheds, which provides opportunities for men and women to “connect, converse, and create” (Home - UK Men's Sheds Association, 2018). At the Ryburn branch, I conducted two basic leatherwork workshops during an open day aimed at encouraging new membership and combating community loneliness. The process of art (and craft as) therapy, as well as allowing for the unburdening of emotions, led to the creation of new meaning and redirection in vulnerable moments (Buser, Buser & Gladding, 2005, p. 180).
I proposed a further series of leather workshops at the shed over a four week period in June and July. These workshops aimed to develop relationships with participants to understand the significance of the Men in Sheds community and how creative activities support their physical and mental health and confidence. Conversations during these workshops will address these themes, including potential health inequalities faced by the Men in Sheds community.
This paper will summarise the outcomes of these workshops, providing insights into how crafting and community engagement foster wellbeing and address social and health inequalities. It will highlight the transformative power of making and storytelling within community settings.
In February 2022, I collaborated with the organisation Men in Sheds, which provides opportunities for men and women to “connect, converse, and create” (Home - UK Men's Sheds Association, 2018). At the Ryburn branch, I conducted two basic leatherwork workshops during an open day aimed at encouraging new membership and combating community loneliness. The process of art (and craft as) therapy, as well as allowing for the unburdening of emotions, led to the creation of new meaning and redirection in vulnerable moments (Buser, Buser & Gladding, 2005, p. 180).
I proposed a further series of leather workshops at the shed over a four week period in June and July. These workshops aimed to develop relationships with participants to understand the significance of the Men in Sheds community and how creative activities support their physical and mental health and confidence. Conversations during these workshops will address these themes, including potential health inequalities faced by the Men in Sheds community.
This paper will summarise the outcomes of these workshops, providing insights into how crafting and community engagement foster wellbeing and address social and health inequalities. It will highlight the transformative power of making and storytelling within community settings.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Cultures of Creative Health |
Editors | Rowan Bailey |
Place of Publication | Huddersfield |
Publisher | University of Huddersfield Press |
Pages | 136-139 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Volume | 4 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781862182394 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781862182387 |
Publication status | Published - 9 Jan 2025 |