Embroidering my shrimp!

I’ve been asked to embroider a shrimp, it’s for SILTings, LV21’s curated programme that is part of Estuary Festival.


Shrimpers and Mudlarks is a collaboration between visual artist Nicola Flower and Dancer, Daisy Farris. They are creating a performance for Bawley Bay. The shrimp will be added to a cape being made by Nicola, for the dancer Daisy to wear as part of the performance. I’ve dropped off some shrimp kits in Northfleet, the Gravesham community are being asked to create these shrimp embellishments.

 
I’m really nervous. I’m not a visual artist, I love textiles and come from a long line of skilled and creative seamstresses, tatters, knitters, crocheters but the chain of learning got broken. My knitting grandmother died when I was little and my own Mum worked full time with three kids, although she taught me the basics, most of her sewing was done late into the night.


In the last few years I’ve come to see how their skills have been overlooked as culture making, how my liberal arts education edged me away from recognising it. How the structures that shape our world views blurred it for me. Neoliberal capitalism didn’t recognise and value their production, because it existed outside any transactional economy- it was gift and care. How patriarchy devalued these women’s artistry and skill. I’m trying to find ways to reconnect. I’ve attempted crochet during the lockdowns. I know I learn better when I’m with someone, a friend did a Zoom tutorial that was helpful, and I managed a decent, even row or two.


I also recognise I don’t give myself the time to make. In a chat with Tom, a mentor and coach I’ve been allocated as part of this project, I talk about struggling to find the time to embroider my shrimp. It becomes a short hand for talking about how I don’t build creative play into my life in a way that I would like.

 
So I set up a Zoom call with my sister in Sweden, who as the youngest got more time from my Mum to learn some of these skills, and who has a natural aptitude and talent. We chat and drink tea and I embroider my shrimp. I avoid trying to get it right, and just start. I’m especially pleased to add clay pipe segments I found to create the legs. I do a quick layout of where buttons might go but mainly just follow my nose, adding a few beads I have.  I really enjoy it and I’m very proud to drop my shrimp off.

 
I especially love seeing some of the other shrimps that have already made their way to LV21, they are stunning, so much skill and creativity. I am delighted to learn that the collective known for a group of shrimp is a ‘troupe’. A troupe of embellished, bejewelled, fabulous, glorious shrimp. I can’t wait to see the finished cape. It will be a things of joy and beauty and a celebration of the combined creativity and skill of local people and the artists.

 
I resolve to spend more time embroidering shrimps. Which makes me smile – its sounds like a euphemism. And I’m off daydreaming of troupes of glamorous shrimp!





Part way through










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