Crios Belts

For this year's festival, CCA draws upon the themes of textile, weaving, tradition and the passing on of skills associated with traditional Irish crafts. Participants will have the opportunity to work with their hands, learn a new skill and make their own Crios belt on the day.

Studies suggest that the repetitive task can be meditative, through the concentration on what you are making and through the process of construction. During the workshop, Deborah will teach participants to hand-weave a Crios belt. These are traditional Old Irish woven belts (or cords). Many countries have woven belts, but this technique from the Aran Islands is one of the oldest, making it of special interest.

Through the workshop, Deborah will give a sense of the endless possibilities which can be achieved with simple vernacular tools and basic materials. This will allow for a fully-participatory creative group practice workshop, with a take-away piece at the end of the session. This workshop coincides with Laura Wilson's solo exhibition at CCA which references weaving, textile and process. Participants will have the opportunity to view the exhibition before and after the workshop.

Deborah White is an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded PhD researcher at the Belfast School of Art and a hand-loom linen damask weaver and designer of twenty-seven years. She has woven for dignitaries and institutions across the globe, including Presidents Nelson Mandela and Mary McAleese, HRH Prince Andrew and Hertford House, home of the famous Wallace Collection. Her work has been recognised by The Heritage Crafts Association, The Theo Moorman Trust for Weavers and The Textile Society, while her PhD research has won awards from the Thomas Dammann Memorial Trust and the Irish Georgian Society's Desmond Guinness Scholarship. She has published in 'History Ireland', TEXT and The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and has a paper due in the 'Riggisberger Berichte', the journal of the world-leading textile museum, the Abegg-Stiftung. She is to give a paper on Irish linen damask at Kensington Palace's conference on the Georgian Court, which is designed to complement their up-coming exhibition 'Crown to Couture'.

The Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry creates opportunities for audiences to experience ambitious, experimental and engaging art, and for emerging artists to develop successful careers. The Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) fosters a wide range of artistic, curatorial, and critical practices through five programme streams: research and production, exhibition-making, public Programmes, publishing, and residencies.

Tickets are limited and booking is essential. Link below.