Weaving Springtime, Hoxton Community Garden
April 4-7 2022
Weaving Springtime is a public programme growing out of communal and deep relationships with the soil. Located in Hoxton Community Garden, it is a collaborative project with artists, the local community, gardeners and all our ecologies. Led by artist Phoebe Hudson and curator Mattie O’Callaghan with generous support from the Hoxton Trust, this programme moves to activate the gardens, to consider urgent issues of our ecologies in urban environments, and invite local communities to claim their space as their own, centred around the practice of weaving.
Bringing together several garden installations, Phoebe weaved together reused and waste fabrics through the trees, asking us to consider our earthly relationships and our deep interconnections. A giant live loom between two trees was made, reusing fabrics and materials, kindly donated by local people. Residents and participants of all ages participated in collaborative weaving workshops throughout the week in all weathers with eagerness, accompanied always with a free cup of tea and biscuit. Further opportunities to engage with waste fabrics are in the planning, with workshops to create textile bowls and collages. Considering how we might reuse what we throw away and through working and being together, new creativity can blossom.
A community-led project of painting the stage in the garden, which is used for local performances and weekly free tea and cake, took place throughout the week. Designed with Phoebe Hudson and seeking local consultation, there was collective painting of the stage through bright patterns, deepening our connection to the plants and flowers bursting out in the garden. There was enthusiastic presence particularly of young children who loved getting involved.
Finally, a celebration took centre stage on the last day of the programme, a chance to express gratitude for our earth and the generous and vibrant community that exists with it. With a newly painted stage, we hope to offer musicians, spoken word artists, and dancers a bright new platform to express themselves. We began spring as a season where people feel like they can return to the garden and blossom with the flowers.
Collective Painting of the Stage
The design for the stage came about through conversations between artist Phoebe Hudson, curator Mattie O’Callaghan and local people at the usual Thursday afternoon tea & coffee in the garden. The favourite design was voted on and Phoebe and Mattie set about cleaning the stage and painting the initial coats. We then invited visitors to the garden to fill in the final design ready for our celebration on the final day.
Entwined between the trees, artist Phoebe Hudson and I worked collectively to display her woven pieces from her old paintings or reused fabrics. Found in unexpected places, the colourful geometric forms spoke to the life in the garden, from the webs of the insect world to the blossoming tulips and daffodils. Participants could wander, touch and play with these textile sculptures, considering their own relationship with the earth.
Future Workshops
Overwhelmed by the generosity of Hoxton Community and our commitment to the garden, we would love to continue reusing the fabric that was donated and continue carrying out workshops in the garden. We’ve tested ideas around making textile bowls and fabric collages and workshops are now in the planning for future dates.
