5 Educators providing Tapestry courses in Oxted

jackie bennett

My work is driven by the urge to experiment and sample yarns. I respond to the environments I find myself in, urban or rural. Trees are a constant inspiration, as are buildings. I have recently been making work concerned with vision and the loss of sight. I favour plant fibres: cotton, hemp, linen, jute and bamboo but also include wool and silk. I have been weaving on small frames since I was a child. Following an art and design Foundation Course, I gained a BA (Hons) in African and Asian Art and Archaeology at SOAS, London University. I have worked as an arts administrator and assistant for artists and arts organisations, gaining a certificate in Arts Management and Levels 1 & 2 OCA Textiles. Having specialised in Tapestry Weaving, I completed the post-graduate diploma at West Dean College in 1997. I exhibit in the UK and internationally. Conversely, I am also working on and researching a medieval-inspired community embroidered tapestry to commemorate the Battle of Lewes (1264). I teach tapestry weaving and crewel embroidery techniques.

weaversbazaar

weaversbazaar came out of a shared passion for tapestry weaving when Matty Smith and Lin Squires met for the first time on the 2008 West Dean College Tapestry Summer School. We had both been experimenting with art, craft and cloth weaving and loved using yarns in creative ways. As we progressed through that hot summer week, weaving and talking and talking and weaving, we not only discovered many shared life experiences but also a common sense of fulfilment in the process and outcomes of tapestry weaving. However, once away from West Dean, we faced a serious challenge - how to find high-quality yarns in just the right colours needed for the tapestries we wanted to weave. After much research, a supplier of high-twist worsted yarn was found and then a dyer who was able to match-dye from just a one-inch colour sample...and at that point, we began to think about whether this would be a product and a service that other textile artists would be interested in: weaversbazaar was launched! The products and services we offer have grown in popularity: our original range of six colours have grown to over 200.The fine 18/2 yarn we started with has been complemented by two medium-weight worsted yarns (7/2 & 9.5/2). In addition, we have extended the range of yarns offered to include both dyed and undyed Nettle, Silk and Linen. We commission the manufacture of equipment that cant be found else where and a year ago took on a studio space in which we run workshops. In doing all these things have establish relationships with diverse textile artists arounfd the world and to communicate regularly with our growing community; sharing information and news that we hope both interests and informs. And our own weaving has continued to develop. Lin and Matty are both active members of the British Tapestry Group, the American Tapestry Alliance and the Canadian Tapestry Network and relish opportunities to get together with other tapestry weavers and textile artists to share ideas. Everyone who contributes to weaversbazaar is a textile maker. Matty retired from weaversbazaar in April 2020. But we continue and Rachel Hanney has joined Lin to continue to develop weaversbazaar. Our mission remains to be the place to find quality yarns and reliable, to provide a personalised service and to facilitate creativity and especially Tapestry Weaving as a contemporary art form.

bell house

Bell House is a volunteer led charity that provides creative learning for people of all ages and backgrounds. Our vision is to offer an opportunity to gather for learning, enjoyment and friendship in a special place. We are: Collaborative, Curious, Generous, Inclusive, Kind, Open, Reliable.

st dunstan's educational foundation

migration museum

About the Migration Museum The Migration Museum explores how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has shaped who we are – as individuals, as communities, and as a nation. Migration is a pressing contemporary issue and is at the centre of polarised political and online debate. But there’s an underlying story of comings and goings stretching back many centuries. And this story goes to the heart of who we are today. Britain has thousands of museums, but none comprehensively focused on this important theme that connects us all. The time is right for a highly relevant, accessible visitor attraction that shines a light on who we are, where we come from and where we are going. From our current home in the heart of Lewisham Shopping Centre, we stage engaging exhibitions and dynamic events, alongside a far-reaching education programme for primary, secondary, university and adult learners. We have a growing digital presence and convene a knowledge-sharing Migration Network of museums and galleries across the UK. The story so far The Migration Museum was founded by Barbara Roche, who first made the case for a migration museum for Britain almost 20 years ago, stemming from her time as Britain’s immigration minister, and from visiting similar museums in other parts of the world – notably Ellis Island in New York. Barbara assembled a founding team of people from different professional backgrounds who shared her passionate belief that Britain’s migration history should be placed at the heart of our national story. Together, they began to scope what a national migration museum might look like. Sophie Henderson, a former immigration judge and barrister, came on board as Director in 2013. Between 2013 and 2017, the Migration Museum staged pop-up exhibitions and events and ran education workshops at a wide range of venues across the UK, including the Southbank Centre, the National Maritime Museum and City Hall in London, the Museum of Oxford, Leicester railway station, and the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. From 2017 to 2019, the Migration Museum was ba