Greetings and Happy Midweek!
And since today is mid-month, it’s time for another of our RAP sessions (Review And Process, deeper and wider). Each RAP revisits a cross-cultural theme or topic from a previous Connect. This month we are going to revisit the topic of storytelling ‘threads’ across cultures through a unique global embroidery project. [*] This project truly highlights the Collaborations component of our Global SKILLs PROACTive Framework. [**]
The “Red Dress” project, currently on display in a museum friends of mine visited this past weekend, is briefly described as an exquisitely crafted dress which “has toured the globe since 2009. (It) features contributions from 380 artists from 51 countries and has become a representation of border-defying unity and self-expression.” (read more about it in the LINK below). The variety of ‘stories’ told through the contributors’ hand work is vast and rich. The beauty of the finished project is stunning.
The photos my friends took and their description of the dress were intriguing. And I was reminded once again of the embroidery group of Jola women and girls I worked with in Senegal, which I mentioned in the Tapestry Connect earlier this year [*]. What began as a very simple embroidery class with 3 women my age became a multi-generational collaboration of dozens of women and girls, producing numerous embroidered handkerchiefs, pagnes (a traditional wrap around skirt) and sheets used as bedspreads. Stories from this group include weekly sewing gatherings welcoming anyone interested and emerging leaders who became design experts, materials and finance coordinators, teachers and planners. The beauty of their work was only surpassed by their excitement as they produced these exquisite and practical items for daily use. The fruit of their labors were then enjoyed in their homes and worn proudly around the village.
Whether it’s one collaborative project like the Red Dress, or multiple projects like our embroidery group produced over the years, the many cultural dynamics involved, within their own cultures and beyond, generate stories - like this! - worthy of being shared and reflected upon.
How about you ~ what is one collaborative storytelling project you have experienced?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for more!
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
~ the Red Dress: https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-The-Red-Dress
Notes
[*] the first exploration we did into this topic was for the word, “tapestry” posted 1/4/23 (you can find these all by date in the blog link above)
Related Topics: 3/24/21 - spinning, 1/26/22, Art-full
[**] Through my business Global SKILLs and several partner subsidiaries I offer unique cross-cultural consulting and training including:
3 Dimensional Dynamics Model:
1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST ; 3rd dimension = HARBOR)
PROACTive Learning Strategies:
PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Applications, Collaborations (which we explored this week) and Transformations
~ contact me for more information on this model and these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming: betsy.barbour@gmail.com
2023 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”
Please Note: this is copyrighted content.
Please do not reproduce or share without my permission (betsy.barbour@gmail.com)