Kindness Quilt
The Making of Nottingham's Kindness Quilt
We've commissioned Textile artist, Rebekah Johnston, to lead a collaborative schools project for 2023. Rebekah delivered a creative CPD session to teachers from 19 schools across Nottingham City in April 2023, and each school went away with a lesson plan and question prompts around Kindness, and pack of fabric to make their school's quilt square - which was to be stitched back together by Rebekah into a quilt.
'Stitching is important because it’s chance to detach from our screens, carve out moments for reflection, and foster human connections'.
Rebekah also worked with pupils in year 4 at Whitemoor School and Glade Hill Primary to create embroidered samples to include in the Kindness Quilt. These samples were inspired by her 'Ups and Downs quilt.' They explored how shapes and colours could represent a wide range of emotions. During the workshops Rebekah said that the students showcased remarkable skills in deciphering meanings, and it actually made her re-evaluate her own work from fresh perspectives.
The act of making by hand can create a mindful experience, and the rhythmic process of hand stitching allows for a calming space for participants to open up and engage in meaningful conversation. So alongside stitching, the students were also discussing various ways to be kind, and how their actions can impact their community and the environment, as well as each other.
As part of the project and to celebrate Nottingham’s Year of Stories, we’ve also been recording children telling stories of kindness which will be accessible via QR codes on the quilt. These stories will highlight the impact that even the smallest acts of kindness can have on the world around us and the importance of kindness to children growing up here. This was also one of the key findings in Nottingham’s Discovery phase to become a Child Friendly City – children want others to be kind and we’re hopeful that the Kindness quilt will share this message when it’s touring to libraries and at Newstead Abbey in 2023 and 2024.
We hope the quilt will inspire people's empathy, compassion and understanding and act as a catalyst for people to have conversations about kindness.
The idea of being kind to the environment is also symbolised through the sustainable and responsible practices this project has used. Rebekah’s work encourages the use of environmentally friendly materials, and emphasises the importance of garment mending and repurposing. Pupils engaging in the project are being taught transferable skills that can be used to reduce waste, and the ability to live a more sustainable lifestyle. As Nottingham aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2028, we’re always keen to find ways to support this goal and promote environmentally friendly ways of being creative.
Written by Olivia Gough, Liberal Arts BA at University of Nottingham while on placement with ChalleNGe.
