Tamesis Unweaving: articulating environmental emotions in the face of ecological degradation
Pollution of the Thames river has reached record levels in the past two years. On the local level, outrage is mixed with an acute sense of loss, disempowerment, frustration and grief. Tamesis Unweaving aims to provide a framework for talking about and processing this ecological grief, putting names to undefined feelings, re-stitching our connections to the more-than-human-world in an approachable, accessible way, and helping communities find pathways towards taking action, through citizen science, art, and activism.
Led by artist Anya Gleizer, the workshop will involve natural-fibre dyeing, quilting and embroidery. The results of each workshop will be added to a monumental piece of communally-created textile art: the Tamesis Robe, a tapestry garment whose tail is a to-scale, 15m map of the Thames Watershed. Over time, the piece, and the workshops, will tour more and more communities along the Thames River watershed, adding further depth to the collective artwork.
Event location: Science Gallery London workshop (first floor)
Event funded/supported by: University of York, University of Oxford (Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities; GLAM), Modern Art Oxford, River Action, Oxford friends of the earth, EarthWatch
