‘Art’s a really good way of handing people an unpalatable subject,’ says Amy McCarthy from Teignmouth Recycled Art In Landscape (TRAIL). ‘It’s a way of having that conversation in a less confrontational way.’ TRAIL is an artist-led, voluntary organisation which aims to raise awareness of environmental issues through recycled art. It organises an annual sculpture trail along Teignmouth seafront (on hold for 2023) and also runs workshops and work with schools and community groups.
Amy explains that TRAIL began 18 years ago as a grassroots project to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Professional and amateur artists, along with local community groups, are invited to create sculptures from recycled materials. Each sculpture carries its own environmental message and the result is public artwork that is enjoyable but also thought-provoking. ‘That’s what art’s for, to get people talking,’ Amy says.
TRAIL is one of a number of initiatives across Devon using arts and crafts to encourage people to engage with social issues. And many find that a beautifully crafted object or work of art can be more effective than traditional methods of campaigning. Some groups have formed around the ‘craftivism’ model, which brings together craft and activism and is described as ‘the art of gentle protest’ by Sarah Corbett, who founded the national Craftivist Collective.
Angie Carney, who set up Craftivism East Devon, says she was drawn to Sarah Corbett’s model of craftivism because ‘it’s not about angry protesting, it’s about engaging with people and making them think’. The group began with a climate change perspective and an early project involved making canaries to send to MPs, drawing on the bird’s history of warning miners when the air below ground was too toxic. The group has also made little banners which they put up around Exmouth to welcome refugees from Afghanistan.
While the end product is important, the process of making it is also a vital aspect of craftivism as it creates time and space to think and talk about the issues being addressed. ‘It helps you to process it in a slower way and to see things from someone else’s perspective,’ says Angie.
And, as Alison from North Devon Craftivists has also found, putting that thought and effort into making something can be a surprisingly powerful way of encouraging people to pay attention. Alison’s involvement in craftivisim began when she and a small group of family and friends came together to make panels to add to a huge scarf full of environmental messages. The scarf was displayed in Glasgow during the COP26 UN climate conference.
Before sending their panels off to Glasgow, Alison and her fellow group members decided to exhibit them locally. They were amazed by the response. ‘Most of us are members of Extinction Rebellion and have spent a lot of time out on streets trying to leaflet and people are not that interested,’ Alison says. ‘We noticed a huge difference – people who normally aren’t that interested in us were interested in the craft stuff.’
Similarly, when Alison made little green hearts to send to councillors who were about to vote on declaring a climate emergency, the handcrafted gifts prompted a heartfelt reaction. ‘They sent me cards, they sent me pictures of them pinned to their lapels.’ Alison believes that people appreciate the personal touch of a handmade object and recognise the commitment that has gone into making it. Most importantly, arts and crafts have the power to get people talking and reflecting. As Amy from TRAIL says, ‘All the best art makes you think about the world around you.’
If you’d like to find out more about art and craft groups near you, or share what you’re doing in your community, please get in touch with our Community Insight Team via insights@devoncf.com.
