4600 Gifts — EXhibition, Library of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands. Co-curated with Deirdre Figueiredo at Craftspace.
4600 Gifts was an ambitious project to make gifts as a token of friendship for every athlete competing in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In excess of 3500 people took part in over 100 citywide making sessions turning outwards in a shared, symbolic act of crafting alongside strangers, friends, family members, neighbours, colleagues and fellow pupils.
Craftspace collaborated with artists Pottinger + Cole, Laura Nyahuye, Mahawa Keita and Kalandra McFarquhar to develop a concept for the gifts with ideas of upcycling, resourcefulness and the power of ‘do-it- together’ in mind. The blank gift comprises two metal washers which are hand decorated by wrapping, knotting, sewing, plaiting and crocheting with fabric, yarns, threads and beads. The two washers are then joined together to symbolise friendship and connection between people and cultures. Like charms or talismans the gifts carry an investment of time, spirit, love and energy. They are a meaningful exchange from one human to another.
Birmingham was known as ‘the workshop of the world’ because of the many different trades, making skills and manufacturing that thrived here. Products, particularly metal goods, were exported worldwide. Since then people from around the world, including Commonwealth countries, have come to Birmingham. We benefit from and celebrate the diaspora and the shared ‘common’ ‘wealth’ of culture, skills and knowledge it brings. No matter who we are, everyone has gifts to give.
4600 Gifts reimagines the idea of ‘workshop of the world’, factory and production through citizen engagement in grass roots making using locally sourced materials and skills. Unlike a mechanised factory, this production line is social, resourceful, inclusive and empowering.
For ten days leading up to the Commonwealth Games, 30,000 visitors to the exhibition at LoB, could see 460 selected gifts made by established crafters, children and young people and community people from across the city, from all corners of Birmingham. Made by many hands, 4600 Gifts celebrates still thriving craft skills in our communities today. Seen together the gifts are a show of unity and a portrait of our diverse city of many talents at this historic moment in time.
The project was developed and realised with a variety of community partners and organisations. More details and images of the process can be found here
Made with the following partners
The Art of Taking Part 