Two linked study days are planned at the Winchester School of Art, England and the Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland around the themes of nostalgia, followed by renewal, in June and July. The two events are inspired, in part, by the three-day conference In the Loop, held in the summer of 2008, which explored contemporary knitting practice from a number of disciplinary perspectives. The experience of organising In the Loop led us to the theme of nostalgia, an inevitable but complex contributor to the surge of popularity that knitting is currently enjoying. Keen to break the conventional pattern of conferences, two smaller events of a more experimental nature – nostalgia & renewal – are now on the calendar.

Several issues are guiding the planning of these events. The first has to do with how we talk about textiles, the second is the current economic crisis. At a recent seminar organised by Lesley Millar to coincide with the exhibition Deconocida: Unknown I, along with all participants, was asked to stitch a nametag for one of the women who have died in the lawless Mexican boarder town of Juarez. I found stitching while thinking occupied the audience in a way I had not seen before and have begun to wonder why, at conferences, we allow ourselves to become so separate from the material we are discussing?

One objective of the Nostalgia & Renewal Symposia is to explore alternative approaches to how we talk about textiles. This may involve greater contact with the materials themselves. But it may also involve dynamic conversations, rather than scripted lectures, when exploring new ideas or any other suggestions that deserve a testing ground. Each speaker at the two events has been invited to reconsider the manner in which they communicate their ideas and use the events to trial new ideas. Many research budgets are looking a little thin on the ground in the current economic climate, but that need not be an excuse to stop talking. At both events speakers will be making contributions via the Internet. This system is far from ideal, but it does bypass the need for international airline tickets and years of planning before the conversation can start. Textile and craft has never enjoyed lavish financial support. I suggest that this may put us in a strong position currently to continue deploying creative thinking to the research challenges at hand.

Finally, the poetic nature of the two themes – nostalgia & renewal – has allowed us to invite an interdisciplinary group of speakers and, I hope, will interest an interdisciplinary audience. While it is difficult to conceal the central role textiles occupy in the research of many participants, it is our hope that a more eclectic conversation will suggest new ways we might approach textile research in future.

Dr Jessica Hemmings, Associate Director of the Centre for Visual & Cultural Studies, Edinburgh College of Art

For more information, see previous notice.

NOSTALGIA & RENEWAL SYMPOSIA

June 26 & July 24, 2009

nos· tal· gi· a

1. responsible for the resurgence of interest in knitting debated at In the Loop: Knitting Past, Present & Future, a conference held at the Winchester School of Art in 2008 and recorded in the University of Southampton Knitting Archive[1]

2. apparent in such diverse territories as archaeology and tourism[2]

3. explorations of memory and material in new media[3]

4. Jamaican photographic archives and the study of dress[4]

5. red shoes[5]

6. authenticity and craft[6]

re· new· al

1. state of mind that believes creative textile practice can emerge from the current economic crisis with renewed authority and conviction

2. evident in the renewed social conscience of contemporary craft[7]

3. synthetic hair sculptures and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, New Orleans[8]

4. creative process and the zeitgeist[9]

5. the curious phenomenon of manias[10] old and new

Nostalgia & renewal are defined by Jessica Hemmings and Linda Newington with shameless attention to their mutual interest in alternative approaches to the research of textiles. Further expanded definitions of the terms and their relevance to textile research will be debated at the following events:

June 26 @ Textile Conservation Centre, Winchester (nostalgia)

For bookings please contact Judith Horgan 02380 596986 / J.A.Horgan@soton.ac.uk

July 24 @ Edinburgh College of Art (renewal)

For bookings please contact Jessica Hemmings 0131 221 6199 / j.hemmings@eca.ac.uk

Cost £35 per day includes lunch. Concessions available £20 per day.

[1] Linda Newington, Head of Faculty Services in conversation with Tim Wildschut School of Psychology, University of Southampton

[2] Angela McClanahan, Lecturer in Visual & Material Culture, Edinburgh College of Art

[3] Clio Padovani, Textile Artist in conversation with Dr Jessica Hemmings, Associate Director of the Centre for Visual and Cultural Studies, Edinburgh College of Art

[4] Carol Tulloch, TrAIN Senior Research Fellow Black Visual Culture, University of Arts London

[5] Hilary Davidson, Costume Curator, Museum of London (tbc)

[6] Kevin Murray, online editor of the Journal of Modern Craft (via skype)

[7] Deirdre Nelson, Textile Artist

[8] Loren Schwerd, Artist (via skype)

[9] Michelle Anderson Binczak, Editor of Bloom magazine

[10] Elizabeth Kramer, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Newcastle