Along with Mia O’Sullivan, Women’s Engagement Lead at the Harbour Project, we supported the creation of The Solidarity Skirt. The Solidarity Skirt was made by women from Swindon's Harbour Project, attending a weekly textiles workshop. The aim of the project was to promote connection and agency by designing and sewing together; sharing and celebrating cultural heritage, stories and traditions.
The inspiration was the patchwork skirts, called Liberation skirts made by members of the Dutch women’s resistance during World War Two as a symbol of solidarity, and hope. The project was curated and delivered by Textiles Artist, Sophia Spink (Chaffinch Arts) as part of her MA in Arts for Health and Wellbeing at the University of South Wales, with the support of Claire, a fellow Harbour Volunteer.
The work was created by Solidarity Skirt Artists Dania, Aissatou, Fathima, Valentyna, Dorin, Manizha, Zahra, Shirin, Salamawit, Nafessa and Taslima. We unveiled the ‘Solidarity Skirt’, at a special celebration event, attended by The Worshipful the Mayor of Swindon, Councillor Imtiyaz Shaikh. Sophia, Dania and Valentyna then joined us in the Activity Space, to deliver a sharing event where visitors to Museum & Art Swindon had the opportunity to create their own embroidered and appliqued patches.
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