‘Story in a Box’ – Summer Holidays Camp 2020 Competition
We had an excellent summer running 6 weeks of our Sustainable Fashion Holiday Camps. We were so grateful to get to teach back in person with social distancing or half on online, half in person. Not only do students learn ‘Super Sewing Skills’ on our courses, they are also educated in sustainability topics. This summer we focussed on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal No.10- Reduced Inequalities.
We shared with our students the story of ‘The Hungry Coat’ a traditional Turkish story told by storytellers Marion Leeper and Tanya Batt in collaboration with Little Hands Design. The story is about Nasreddin Hodja a wise fool – philosopher and trickster who used humour to point to the ironies, injustices and contradictions of life. Hodja was treated with disrespect at a celebratory feast when wearing his dirty work clothes, but was welcomed when he changed into his finest Coat. In response he ‘fed’ his coat to point out his coat is the guest at the feast as it was only because of the coat he was welcome.
Entrants were asked to create a ‘box’ with decoration that represented their identity and or heritage. In the ‘box’ they had to put in story that was about equality, inequalities or ‘what your clothes say about you’. We had some amazing varied entries, as you will see. It was great for students to share their stories of heritage and identity and see their awareness of inequalities and wanting reduced them
‘This is a wonderfully apt UN SDG to focus on; and the UN’s remarks on solidarity through COVID strikes a chord. While we have focussed on our own issues at home and within ourselves – because we’re human and it’s our fight for survival – it has meant that other issues have been left out of the media, or that developments have fallen flat as more “important” actions are taken. However, as with climate change, it is always necessary to look holistically and understand where to reduce inequalities for the good of everyone. It is uplifting to see how poetically these young people have considered inequalities around themselves. These actions and events that we have been privy to can affect us without even knowing, and can be with us as we move forward in life, so the act of creating something to highlight the feeling is a really beautiful positive step.’
We were so pleased to receive such feedback, that the importance of our education side to our courses is respected as much as the hands on skills that are learnt.
The Entrants
Created a bag which acknowledged the two sides to her heritage. Using an Old chocolate container covered with tights to show the two ‘legs’ of her parents heritage Both legs feature images of symbols of the countries such as St Lucia for Italy and the Eagle for america And also including images of the UK to represent where she was born.
Judge’s Comment
Love the upcycling of unusual materials to create this bag, and how they have selected images to represent the countries. Wonder what was chosen for the UK!
C made a covering for a tube (photo before it was finished) that represented her Sri Lankan and British Heritage. She used embroidery and applique to decorate the fabric with symbols from both countries, tea leaves, blue lily and picked colours of the flags for the fabrics, patchworking it together.
Judge’s Comment
Well done on your use of skills here; particularly love the symbols you chose to represent your heritage.
A’s story is about her grandad Ben, who had to run away from Poland on 2nd War World because of the nazis as he was jewish. He had to travel around the world until he finally got to London where he started a new life. A explains that her grandad’s adventures is the reason why she is alive today. Her “box” is a piece of textile with stuffing on it that represents a bomb.
Judge’s Comment
What a story to hold on to! We imagine that it fills you with both inspiration and motivation in your life. We love that the bomb actually looks like a flower in a vase, as if from the horror of the war (and whatever mishaps you have to come in your own life) there is always goodness that comes out of it.
Her story is called : Brown skinned girl. Talks about a woman in the mid-20th century in India that is rejected by men because of her skin colour, her traditional outfits, etc. She decided to change her clothes, her hair, even her skin to be lighter (bleached – which O explained in the class that is very common in India) to the point that she doesn’t recognise herself even if all the men accepted her now. So she decides to wear her sari again and be truthful with herself. The box represents a picnic basket ( very western/British in O’s eyes) and all the Indian jewellery on top.
Judge’s Comment
We hope that you don’t have to experience that type of situation or feeling in your own life, but to understand that it could happen must give you the purpose to trust in yourself. Love that this container is also functional!
M’s story talks about Carim, a refugee child that arrives in Greece with his two younger siblings to start a new life. After almost being scammed a few times, they met a lady that is a lawyer and takes them to the Uk.The box is a suitcase that represents the journey refugees have to do with all their belongings
Judge’s Comment
It is upsetting that while we in the “West” hold on to our belongings with such vigour, there are those having to choose what is most important to them, and risk their lives for it. The suitcase is a very apt representation of this situation – and we think it’s made from a shoebox, which is great upcycling!
A’s story is about her neighbour, a 90 year old lady that came from Germany as she had to escape from the Nazis. The box represents the memory box of this women after all those years
Judge’s Comment
This is a very stylish box that could be used for decades to come as a sentimental piece. To hold on to your neighbour’s stories is a privilege; that first-hand experience is one that will shape your own memories as you move on in life, with the strength of your neighbour always in the background. This box can then serve as your own memory box as you build upon that connection.
Her story is about her family and about how her grandparents had to leave Iran in 1978 because of the War.Her box represents a traffic sign saying PEACE! As is telling people to STOP wars.
Judge’s Comment
We like that you used ‘peace’ instead of ‘stop’ for this everyday street sign – imagine if there were daily reminders like this, how would it change a person’s behaviour? The word ‘peace’ is a powerful one indicating to be peaceful with one another, but also to have peace with oneself – hopefully your grandparents found solace in their new home.
Her story is about her mum’s family who are jewish and had to escape from Germany to New York because of the nazis.The “box” is represented by a boat which what they used to go around the countries.
Judge’s Comment
The boat is always symbolic for journeys, and here the journey could also be emotional – you have grown up on their stories that have obviously had an impact, but it’s now your adventure to take what you’ve learnt. The boat is almost symmetrical, so depending on where the wind is blowing, it’s up to you to decide where you’re next heading!
Her “box” is a rose/flower that represents her british heritage. Her story is about a woman that wants to join a boxing club and get rejected several times until she dresses like a man and wins and they realise that is her.
Judge’s Comment
Well done for that women taking action for her own life! The rose is a powerful symbol that represents many things, including that they have thorns so aren’t always as pretty as we expect them to be! It calls out to not judge based on only appearances, so great use of symbolism with the story you told.
This box has a family tree on the top with all the members of her family, the box is wrap in textile, and she printed pictures of them all to stick them on the boxHer story is something that happened to her when she went to a school dance and she felt very self conscious because her clothes weren’t as good as the other girls.
Judge’s Comment
Very interesting to hear how you assessed your clothing against the other girls’ – we hope that you find the comfort in what you do have, and the knowledge that though these feelings like not being good enough aren’t nice, they can drive us forward. Especially holding on to stability like with our families, these stories will fade away but remain with us as strength. Love that the tree is a pine cone, and that the box is intricately covered in photos – something you can keep hold of and continue to go back to whenever you’re upset.
Commended
A story about a girl that was judged for wearing ‘fancy’ clothes. She thought that it would make her feel equal in society but was treated badly for selling farm goods in fine clothes. She realised she did not want to be like the people in fine clothes and would rather be genuine and treat people fairly and decided to burn her fine clothes. She made a box to represent this with ‘fancy fabric’- ‘It will make you gain false popularity, but you will be respected’ and ‘ragged fabric’- ‘you will be looked down upon but at least you can be true to yourself’. L’s story reflects on how much we judge on appearances. And she made a textile container that represented her half American heritage with an embroidery of a yellow rose.
Judge’s Comment
Really interesting to hear this story and how L felt different textiles evoke different personalities. We hope that whatever clothing L wears, they feel content and comfortable! Appreciated the additional work in creating a textile container with binding and embroidery too!
Understanding the qualities and use of textiles to tell a story
Third Place
Her story is about a friend of hers that is Black and once in the park got left out because of his skin colour.Her “box/bag has the flags of both of her parents heritage and hers.
Judge’s Comment
We love the little drawings here, and how great they would be blown up as prints on t-shirts and accessories like protest clothing, that would be especially beneficial for wearing on the streets and in the park as reminders to others thoroughly appreciated those little graphics and the story they tell.
Second Place
A textile container that represented the five countries of her heritage. India, UK, Sweden, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis. Making a flag to represent each one, using applique, reverse applique and machine embroidery and hand embroidery. And choosing fabric for the main container that represented the indian textile industry.
C’s story was a story on gender equality in sport where a girl protests in various ways about all male games that are ranked higher and not having mixed teams. Finally pretending to be a boy in a match where her excellent skills are not applauded when she is discovered. The Coach points this out to the team
Judge’s Comment
A lot of skills involved with this bag, and a lot of heritage to fulfil! The use of the flags and the background fabric serve to showcase the countries of heritage, but also how perhaps they’re all interconnected.
They are awarded 2nd prize for the amount of work put in here to create the container, and clear understanding of the materials.
First Place
Designed a bag linking to her favourite Ukraian song about a swallow and used applique and embroidery in her designs to represent the highly embroidered clothes traditional to Ukraine. She told the story of Anne of Kiev who became queen of France when marrying King Henry I. King Henry was a weak Monarch before marrying Anne and she was the one that made decisions and made the kingdom powerful. Dana was inspired by how powerful Anne of Kiev was and how she made her country powerful and influential.
Judge’s Comment
Love the effort in re-creating a full traditional outfit. The bag looks very well made and with intricate detailing like the rope strap and piping. Very interesting story about that powerful queen – hopefully the King didn’t take the credit for her work!
They are awarded 1st prize for the skill, how ready it is to go as a bag and put-togetherness of the whole look.
Well Done Everyone!
We loved all the conversations we had over the summer and pleased our Sustainability Ambassadors are raising awareness SDG no.10 Reducing Inequalities.