Stuff for Thought – marking Human Rights and Festival of Quilts

Artists have been invited to take part in Stuff for Thought a shared project of textile artist Heidi Drahota and the Human Rights Office of the City of Nuremberg September 9th – September 24th 2016. Journal:Remnants from Not so Ordinary Lives (below) is one of the pieces selected.

My grandmother a Romany Gypsy ,taught me to look at the world and to take responsibility for what we do and how we work. This piece uses fabrics, papers and printing blocks gathered on a research trip to India. I stitched images made on location at railway station where people were gathering for work, at a festival and on a workplace rooftop. All people need access to light, good water and fresh air. Our clothing needs to be made from sustainable sources, not adding to land fill and demanding as much from the land as it does from the makers.(Readers may have seen this piece in my first publication, The Found Object in Textile Art)

This work is in specific response to these two articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Background:With the awarding of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award 2015 to the labor unionist of the textile industry in Bangladesh Amirul Haque Amin the city of Nuremberg gives the award to an activist for social and economic human rights for the first time.

The exhibition 'Stuff for thought' invited artists to submit work direct relating to 3 different topics:

1 First of all the awareness of the rights of workers in Bangladesh. It is very dangerous to be in a labor union there. The activists don’t only run the risk of losing their jobs when they fight against bad working conditions; they are also often harassed, threatened or arrested. The jury hopes that the award will give Mr. Amin and his allies the protection that they need to continue their work towards humane working conditions.

2 The jury also wants to call upon the consumer conscience and raise awareness for responsible consumption. The public has a right to know under what conditions their clothes are produced.

3 Last but not least the jury’s vote is embedded in an economic framework since global and fair trade without the adherence to social standards runs contrary to basic human needs.

Further details of the exhibitionin German

Art Textiles Made in Britain
This is our second show at the Festival and we will be presenting new work based upon the theme Concealed.This new body work includes work by two guest artists and equally has a strong connection to the human experience discussed above. Hidden meanings and emotions commenting on people and place, social and environmental conscience to personal stories and reflections.

We have produced this lovely catalogue which will be for sale in the Art Textiles gallery and then be available via Hilary Beattie's online shop for those that can't get to Festival. A few of my publications including Stitch Stories will also be available.

Finally, I am delighted to be supporting Hop Art one day exhibition in aid of the Air Ambulance on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August at the Hope Pole Inn, Nettlestead Green. Maidstone. I have donated a small original stitched and collage artwork Hortus, (framed it is 28x22cm). You can bid on this piece by emailing Pauline at Hop Art For details of the Hop Pole contact Mark at the Hop Pole (tel 01622816916.)