Description
Book SynopsisExplores queer craft and the material cultures of LGBTQ+ activism in Britain since the 1980s. From handmade clothing and protest banners to radical self-published zines and manifestos, there is a long history of using craft and DIY processes to explore identities, bring communities together, and encourage social and political change. Yet, many of these histories remain undocumented and are insufficiently researched.
This collection sheds light on these important histories and includes a range of contributions from academics, artists, activists, curators, and heritage professionals. Case studies discussed include Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, the Museum of Transology, Lesbians and Gay Men Support the Miners (LGSM), the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt, Islington’s Pride, Queer Zine Library, Glasgow Women’s Library, Queer Journeys, and more. These critical essays and oral histories are complemented by short reflections from contemporary creative practitioners including Matt Smith, Tanoa Sasraku, Sarah-Joy Ford, Rachael House and Raisa Kabir.
Taken together, this collection weaves together an important web between craft, queerness, and activism in Britain. As the first book of its kind, it will likely be of interest to a range of students and academics, as well as cultural producers and creatives more broadly.
Trade Review'Fountain's book fills a gap that has been left unfilled for far too long. Through sharing previously unheard histories of activism – given from a wide range of perspectives – Crafted with Pride is sure to spark debate, discussion and, well, pride. [...] This book shows how LGBTQ+ activists have long harnessed the power of craft to protest and tell their stories, creating objects that come alive through collective making and use.'
-- Isabella Smith, Deputy editor, Crafts magazine
Table of ContentsList of Figures
Acknowledgements
About the editor
Introduction: Crafting Identity and Community
Thread One: Fashioning the Self
1. Lesbian Activism and Crafted Fashion – Eleanor Medhurst
2. Trans Craft and the Museum of Transology – Lois Stone
Thread Two: Pride, Publics, and Preservation
3. Protest with Pride: Lesbians and Gay Men Support the Miners – Mark Etheridge
4. Pride of Place: Remembering, Collecting, and Preserving Islington’s LGBTQ+ Heritage – Seán McGovern
5. (Re)Collecting Queer Craft: Ownership, Identity, and Remembrance in Queer Zine Collecting – Allan Madden
Thread Three: Collaborative Craft
6. Navigating Queerness and Trauma Through Collaborative Craft – Dan Vo in conversation with Youcef Hadjazi
7. Stitching Together: The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt and Its Oral Histories – Daniel Fountain
Plus, an in-conversation with Graeme Lavery and Karina Thompson
Thread Four: Contemporary Practices
8. Making Things Perfectly Queer – Matt Smith
9. A Tower to Say Goodbye – Tanoa Sasraku
10. Quilting Intergenerational Intimacies in Fisch’s Rebel Dykes Archive – Sarah-Joy Ford
11. Queer Voices – Rachael House
12. NO PROTECTION – Raisa Kabir
Glossary
National Support Organizations
Contributor Biographies
Index
