Knowledge Weaving Laboratory

Knowledge weaving is a collective process of threading information together to produce a useful and enduring reference for craft.  

A Knowledge House for Craft is an international gathering place for craft makers, thinkers, and advocates. It originated in the global South from a desire to connect and nurture craft knowledges across cultural and geographical distance, and a wish to preserve and promote the discussions that take place in the craftscape.

Our actions are governed by a belief in the importance of craft as a means to be in, and think through, our changing world. Though working in the name of craft, this association endorses the idea that craft has no universal definition. We prefer instead to think critically about the narratives and ideals craft serves, what is done in their name, and who these narratives empower or suppress. We also intend to think ethically about craft knowledge and the rights of those who foster it: makers and their communities, users, and witnesses. Finally, we want to think sustainably about craft knowledges, to mirror our belief in craft as a tool for economic empowerment, peacebuilding and cultural sustainability.

Our “house” is conceived as a dynamic repository, where craft knowledges can be recorded, collected, analysed and held, and from which they can be shared and disseminated. Our projects for the first year will be to establish collaborative partnerships with local and regional craft media; to launch the Dictionary of World Craft project; to establish a public discussion program and to set up a knowledge exchange platform.

At the moment, our main public activity is the Reinventing the Wheel series, which you can find here: www.garlandmag.com/wheel. This is a way of getting to know each other, appropriate to the COVID era.✿

Value of Craft Report

Your help is needed to champion the value of craft in our world today. While are many “feel good” articles about the wide benefits of craft, sceptical readers need more systematic analysis. The Value of Craft Report is a collective project for gathering all the material together in one knowledge base (you can see the early version of it here). You can contribute to this by identifying a useful reference and entering it with this form. For an ongoing contribution, please see our Trello board).