Community projects

This is our new page for Community Arts Projects. If you are involved in a local project and would like to let other knitters know, please send details, logos and images and we'll do the rest

'Liskeards Got Style!' (current)

Workshops are being held to knit a window display in Liskeard, Cornwall.

Click here for more details and find out how you can take part

Click here for Facebook page

"Join The Flock" (current)

Several thousand people have so far participated in the Flock public art project, co-ordinated by arts development agency Eden Arts, in Penrith. Schools, groups, organisations and individuals from throughout the UK (and beyond!) have taken part in the project and now Eden Arts is looking for many more people to get involved to help reach the project target of 5000 sheep!

Inspired by artworks such as Antony Gormley’s ‘Field for the British Isles’, FLOCK invites people to contribute to a large scale installation, made up of thousands of pom-pom sheep. Joanne Leary, Eden Arts project officer, said: “People really love the project, it seems to have sparked a national pom-pom sheep making craze! We would love for many more people to take part – it is an excellent chance for people to contribute to an art installation, while having fun and learning about wool in the process. We can’t wait to see everyone’s efforts displayed together as a “national flock”. The way that people personalize their sheep is brilliant, each on is different and many of the best are featured in a “Best in Show” photo gallery on the Join the FLOCK Facebook page”

Last autumn Eden Arts was invited by the curator of WOW – the current exhibition at Gallery@Rheged - to create a small scale flock installation for the exhibition, which would be used to represent the sheep of Cumbria. In response Eden Arts organised a number of community workshops to make pom-pom sheep using just northern Swaledale and Herdwick wool from Crookabeck Farm in Patterdale. The “Cumbrian Flock” installation is now on display in the WOW exhibition at Rheged Centre – an exhibition celebrating the wonder of wool and the art of knit and stitch. Joanne continues: “The workshops were a great success and it is fantastic that the participants now have their work alongside nationally acclaimed artists’ work - many are arranging to visit the exhibition as a group.”

Not only does FLOCK encourage creativity and collaboration, it also aims to help raise awareness of the wool and sheep farming industry. Wool now accounts for only two per cent of the world’s fibre production despite being a remarkable, sustainable fibre and many people are unaware of the difference between real wool and its synthetic counterparts.

The first large scale FLOCK installation will go on display at Rheged Centre from 10th-19th April and participants have until 6th April to hand in their creations for them to be included.

Why not get involved and Join the Flock! Sheep making kits are available to download from www.jointheflock.co.uk and resources are available for schools and groups – contact joanne@edenarts.co.uk for further details.