I am now in Saskatoon working with the newly formed 'Young Artisans Co-operative' on an exciting pilot study.
The Young Artisans Co-op has been established to assist 2 communities in Saskatchewan - Pelican Narrows (Cree Nation) and Sandy Bay (Ojibway first nation). We're hosting workshops with willing participants in these areas. Craft is a kind of soulful balm anywhere in the world and also an opportunity for young people to learn about their incredible heritage from the elders and local artisans. Beyond this basic human need (intergenerational dialogue and creative projects for and in the community) our objective is to find ways that this can sustain life in these areas. It is that extreme because poverty is also in the extreme there.
95% of the population are unemployed, and youth suicide is rising amongst the mess of violence and drug and alcohol addiction. This is their (and therefore our) particular challenge: The youngsters growing up in this environment. I am astonished that these communities i'm visiting are struggling in this way just 5 hours drive of where I sit now.
To me the power of art and craft is life changing. And what drew me from a challenging upbringing myself to art college exploring fashion and textiles through an anthropological lens. Then to a career in shoe design in London, then to hand-making shoes of my design for stores and customers internationally, and now to moccasin making (and teaching) for my community and deeper in to the significance of the hand-made life in it's whole. It's about the transference of love that can be expressed as a skill from the human who made the item to the human who then wears it - not simply put's it on, but instinctively feels that their being is enhanced in a beautiful and deep way with this piece of clothing, jewellery or pair of moccasins. To me this is the spice of life, and what I dedicate my every day to. I want to be a part of helping others making this their every day too if they are also drawn to it; just how I was. My own experience shows me that children who use their hands to express themselves sometimes do so to compensate for not being able to open their mouths. It's their voice in the world as it was mine, when words don't come.
My work centre's around the premise that Shoes represent the values that we stand for.
My drive to hand-make shoes is about Putting soul back in to matter.
Healthy relationships can be formed from one person shining at another through what they wear and what those pieces represent. That's the power of the heart through the hands.
- fin