Get involed with our Craftivism & Chat Project 

You can read more about our Craftivism & Chat project and what it has achieved here - https://www.mertoncil.org.uk/services/craftivism-chat/

Merton CIL is a user led organisation and we would love for our members and supporters to continue shaping and directing our work. Read more below about ways that you can get involved with Craftivism & Chat. 

Come Along to a Session

Sesssions usually take place on the first Thursday of every month (due to the pandemic this may be affected). You can read more about up and coming groups by taking a look at our events calendar here - 

Use Art to Push for Change with our Craftivism & Chat Packs

We created Craftivism & Chat packs at the beginning of the pandemic. We wanted to provide and accessible and creative way for local Deaf and Disabled people to speak up and continue to push for change whilst staying home. This is something that we want to continue doing. We see Craftivism as a way for Deaf and Disabled people to speak up in ways that are comfortable to them.

You can request for a pack to be posted out to you below.

Why we wish you to be involved with 'Craftivism and Chat' whilst staying home due to coronavirus  

1. Help make change happen - Combining activism and arts & crafts is a great way to attract attention and help your voice be heard more. Craftivism provokes thinking and creatively encourages others to be part of improving our communities. 

 2. Stay connected and look after your wellbeing - One of the aims of our group is to reduce isolation and loneliness and we hope this work will continue whilst we are unable to meet up in person. Therefore, sharing our creations and speaking vulnerably about our worries allows us to create something special to connect and converse with others respectfully. Arts & Crafts is also a great way to slow down, reflect and recharge.  

3. Using time for Changemaking - A lot of us have been considered high risk and have been in isolation for a number of weeks. If you are bored of Netflix and have run out of books to read why not join us in some Craftivism and Chatter using your hands, head and heart together? 

4. Disability Arts are important - Disability art can help to highlight the issues faced by Deaf and Disabled people, be a catalyst for thought and action and is therefore an important part of the Disability Rights movement. 

We had support from the amazing Sarah Corbett of The Craftivists Collective to pull together the packs reasons to get involved above. She also wrote a hand written letter to our members and fellow craftivists. Have a read above. A copy is included in all Craftivism & Chat packs. 

We also pulled together a list of ways that you can stay creative throughout the winter - 

If you have your own materials at home but would like to get involved you can:

Download our Craftivism & Chat pack note here - Craftivism & Chat pack note

You can take a look at Sarah's Craftivist Manifesto here - https://craftivist-collective.com/blog/2018/10/presenting-our-a-craftivists-manifesto/

You can read more about Sarah and The Craftivists Collective here - https://craftivist-collective.com/

You can look read about past Craftivism & Chat groups here - https://www.mertoncil.org.uk/services/craftivism-chat/

And you can get inspired and take a look at some Disability arts here - https://disabilityarts.online/

Share what you create with us!

We would love to see all that you create, so that we can share it with our members and inspire them to get involved in Craftivism and Chat too.

You can share pictures of your arts & crafts with us by posting to social media and tagging us on the following platforms :

Instagram: @MertonCIL

Facebook: @MertonCIL

Or join our closed FB group: Merton CIL Members and Supporters

Twitter: @MertonCIL

If you want what you create to be shared anonymously or you create a video you can email us at info@mertoncil.org.uk

We are also now sharing a monthly prompt as to how you can use your Craftivism & Chat Pack. Please see this months prompt below: 

Craftivism & Chat Pack Prompt - January 2022

#MakeMertonAccessible 

Disabled or Local Artist? Why not host a workshop 

Craftivism & Chat supports Deaf and Disabled people and local artists by hiring them to host co-produced workshops. We work together to use disability arts to push for change in a creative and accessible way. If you are interested in hosting a session please get in touch with Charlet - info@mertoncil.org.uk 

If you are creative and have a skill/hobby you would like to share with people please get in touch! We can organise for you to run a supported session. We are also keen for Deaf and Disabled People to come together, socialise and share expereinces. If there is a topic that you wish to speak about at the group please also get in touch. 

Feed into the Agenda for 2021 (from April)