Collaborations

Creating work with limited resources sometimes leads to an unexpected outcomes.

Cas Holmes trained in community arts working in areas of health, education and environmental arts practice. The challenge of working on site-specific and commissions continues to inform her practice. Workshops and projects, explore individual development of ideas in response to processes, techniques and themes. She has produced installations in a variety spaces from cathedrals to workplaces, military buildings to offices. Current news can be found on her blog.

What We Value, What We Miss

What We Value, What We Miss is an online group founded in 2020 in which members come together to share ideas and the things they value (and sometimes the things they miss) in relation to being together and their mutual love for making with cloth and stitch. Currently members are exploring ideas and creating a response in relation to the words Unspoken: Truth and Silence. The things we may not want talk about as well as the things we care about.
Our collaborative project for 2023-25 initiated by artist Liesbeth Werts, was ‘Unidentified Meaningful Object.’ We invited people to create their own interpretations and to contribute to a growing installation first exhibited at the Halpern Gallery in Chatham.

Liesbeth broadly explains the creation of the Unidentified Meaningful Object in this little video

Gypsy Maker

2024 New works including Cultivate (above) new for from old pieces’ in Gypsy Makers – An exhibition marking the tenth anniversary of the ground-breaking Gypsy Maker project touring 2024. The pieces centred around my garden and walking routes and were created from destroyed, and re-used older pieces. A metaphor tor rebuilding and resilience as a I balance my work as a maker and a carer. Photograph courtesy of Harry Meadley and the .Romani Cultural and Arts Company

In 2020-21 Work a specially commissioned project Places, Spaces, Traces as part of Gypsy Maker 4 a two person exhibition with artist Dan Turner supported by the Romani Cultural and Arts Company and Arts Council, Wales. This project has led to the development of new works reflecting the notion of ‘Identity’ and ‘Place’. Slideshow of this exhibition above.

Tea, Flora Tales

Tea Flora Tales an international collaboration with artists and makers is displayed in the crypt at Rochester Cathedral as part of ‘Painting with Cloth’ with Rochester Art Gallery (supported by Medway Council) Embroiderers Guild UK . It toured for six years culminating with shows in 2018 at Nadelwelt Karlsruhe and the Knitting and Stitching Show. The changing installation explores our relationship to the landscape and habitat and the work of Plantlife.

Trees as part of Common Land, Common Spaces installation at Farnham Pottery.. Also a video link here. Further installations in public spaces can be seen in the slideshow below.

Florascript

Florascript part of exhibition Prescriptions artists books now in the collection of the Templeman Gallery, University of Kent. Artists working in a wide range of materials and bookbinding techniques bring together pieces reflecting ideas about cancer, chronic illness, disability, mental health, surgery, medicine and wellbeing, this exhibition reveals the communicative power of book art and its therapeutic potential.

Note Tins

‘Note tins’ project with homeless and ‘at risk’ adult partnered by Caring Hands and Nucleus Arts

Hop-Kins in hoppers hut at Kent Life (featured in Stitch Stories)

Garden Museum ‘Garden of Remembrance

‘Handkerchiefs & Garden of Remembrance’ at the Garden Museum, Lambeth with Age UK Bromley and Greenwich. Photos: http://www.johonephotography.com/

LV21 on board Light Vessel 21 and a report on Making Marks workshop Light Vessel 21. Medway, Kent

Nautical Threads with Dover Arts Development exploring Dover’s long nautical history and involved artists and schools across Dover District as well as members and organisations from the local community

Runneymede Revisited, St Peters Church Oare, Magna Carta project

Schools and Education

Butterflies by Meadows School for Community Curator

Installation, St Saviours, Jersey. Hautlieu School in partnership with the Harbour Gallery

Installation Hautlieu School in St Saviours, Jersey, Partnership with the Harbour Gallery One day workshop.

Creative books, teacher training, The Making at Middlesex University

All community arts projects over the years would not have been possible without the support from Arts Council England, The Crafts Council, local council funding and public/private sponsors.