In 2022, I was fortunate to take part in the Thread Residency in Senegal.

Throughout the residency I created a piece of work that collaboratively created shared experiences within the local community, without having a common language. The result was more joyous than I could have imagined. Through this work I formed relationships, friendships and had fleeting encounters with school children, builders, gardeners and doctors alike.

I designed and built a bamboo loom into the cultural centre, and invited local residents to weave with me, using locally grown cotton, that was hand spun and dyed during the residency.

Participants expressed a strong willingness and excitement to learn a medium, that for most, was entirely new. Children used the sessions to socialise and play with school friends, taking turns to learn and share their weaving. For me, this project expressed the importance of contributing to a project, that is created by and with community.

The piece is displayed permanently in the cultural centre; a long-lasting record of their collective efforts.