Transformation Station - Radical Weaving and Material Transformation
With upsi
Transformation Station invites participants to process excess material through tapestry weaving. Salvaged material is both kept out of the waste processing system and implemented in teaching new skills. The end goal is to inspire a shift away from polluting consumerism and towards creative-harm-reduction practices. Participants will learn the complete process of weaving on a vertical loom, in a way that can be integrated into ones daily life and home space. The main tool is a (wooden) frame which participants should provide. The materials to be woven will also be collected by participants. The course will include instruction, making and group reflection (critique) time. Transformation Station encourages personal action to address our shared problem of excessive waste. The accessibility to learning these processes disregards the myth that only some people are (allowed to be) creative. Conversations about creative healing, community support, and the value of handcrafting aids us in transforming material and ourselves in these violent times.
- Dates
- Wed 22 Jul
- Time
- 18:00–22:00
- Cost
- €30-90 one off session (+ €5 membership fee for new members)
- Attendance type
- Each workshop is a one-off
- Class type
- Crafts
- Space
- Garden, Container
- Desired audience
- This workshop is appropriate for anyone of any age, who has an interest in learning a traditional hand craft, who has a passion for sustainability and creativity, and who has a willingness to build a new habit in a nonjudgmental and supportive enviornment.
- What should I bring?
- No prior knowledge is needed. Participants should bring a willingness to practice experimentation, patience and repetitive handwork techniques. Participants are encouraged to begin collecting excess plastic and/or fabric material from their daily lives to weave with. The instructor will provide salavaged plastics and fabric for those who need supplementary material. Participants should bring a frame which they want to use as a vertical-frame-loom. Any size (either square or rectangle) from 40cm - 120cm works well. The frame can be wooden, plastic or metal, it just needs to be sturdy.
About the artist
Upsi has always merged environmental activism with creativity. She trained in drawing and painting before attending MassArt, exploring printmaking and sculpture, then weaving and dyeing, to receive a Bachelor's of Fine Art in Fibers-3D and Art History in 2008. Next she travelled to Berlin for a residency, and stayed, valuing the city’s deep roots of creative resistance. Early on in her Berlin years upsi made a number of installations, all of which are lost to demolition. In 2020 she began the open weaving workshop, to spread the skill of weaving and inspiration to create with fabric and plastic waste.
Instagram: nonealisonsea.me/transformation-station, sacustance.com
Accessibility
One solidarity spot is available for this course at no cost. Please write to 90milartschool@gmail.com to book. 90mil is wheelchair accessible. Please see the yellow section below for more on accessibility.
Sliding scale
We use a sliding scale to make courses as affordable as possible. Here’s how to use it: Lower end: You don’t have a stable income. Mid range: You have a less stable financial situation and are more selective about where you spend your money. Higher end: You experience relative financial stability. Solidarity spot: You’re experiencing financial precarity and wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to come to a workshop.