These workshops developed out of the taster tester workshops we did earlier in the year.

Balcarres is an acute admissions ward and Claire Barclay has been working on the female ward. Claire started with embroidery workshops as a means of participatory workshop while sitting around a table. This enables work to be carried on from one workshop to another while also enabling group conversations around the table.

Claire started of by bringing different size embroidery hoops, blanks squares and different coloured embroidery treads along to the workshops. Some patients had done embroidery before while others were beginners. As the workshops developed styles and aesthetics began to develop, with some people starting and developing their square to completion while others started and were happy for Claire or other patients to complete their square.

The outcome from this series of workshops will be a wall mounted collaborative piece that comprised of finished pieces. This will be displayed in the breakfast room of the ward, a space that is used by all the patients and their visitors.

More images will be posted as the workshops progress.