EDucator
Educator
I love sharing my passion for craft with others and am often teaching and facilitating projects and workshops for people of every age, from pre-school through to older adults. I have worked with a wide range of different groups including community groups, schools, heritage sites, galleries and museums, hospitals and businesses. Although workshops may use similar textile processes they are never the same, rather co-designed and curated with those I am working alongside, to ensure a more meaningful and purposeful experience.
Whether you are a teacher looking for ideas for use within your classroom or an enthusiastic crafter, this page has a few project ideas. You might like to join me at a workshop to enable you to get more personal help with lots of tips and advice.
Weaving Resource for Teachers
I had the pleasure of being asked by the Crafts Council to create a resource for teachers. This resource suggests ways that teachers may like to explore weaving within their own classrooms with their students. You can find this lesson plan and video on the Crafts Council website, Weaving on a Cardboard Loom – Teacher’s Resource.
Creative Careers Resource for Teachers
I love sharing about the many creative jobs and opportunities there are within the Creative Industries, especially within craft and textiles.
If you are interested in learning more about how I became a self-employed weaver and educator you can discover my Craft Journey on the Crafts Council website. This is a great resource for KS3, KS4 & KS5 teachers and their pupils when thinking about careers within the creative sector.
Weave your own Egg Decorations
Using limited materials you can weave your own gorgeous egg decorations.
Click here to follow detailed step by step instructions of how you can create your own Woven Egg. A great little craft for Easter.
Weave your own Bunch of Flowers
Learn how to create your own bunch of spring flowers through weaving and stitching.
This workshop is aimed at families to create together. Younger children will need help from an adult. Click here to watch the video tutorial.
Video of Workshop Tutorial coming late April 2021.
Podcast with Making Stitches Podcast
Press
Some of the places I have been featured over the years can be found here.
Although based in Leeds I have worked across Yorkshire and beyond! Some of the organisations and projects I have recently been involved with can be found below:
Make Your Future - Crafts Council
Make Your Future partnered textile makers from across Yorkshire with local High schools to provide an opportunity for students within KS3 to engage with new craft processes, whilst also making important links to careers within Craft and links to other STEAM subjects.
Pupils of a range of abilities and backgrounds worked with Agnis to create a beautiful collaborative woven piece. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed working with Agnis, she has such a fantastic way with the pupils, and we would love to work with her again.
Peace Project - Leeds City Museum
This project was inspired by an Armistice flag that was carried in 1918 by a young lady in Leeds. The project incorporated the responses of over 20 diverse groups from across the city who responded creatively to the question, ‘What does Peace mean to you?’ Each group learnt about the Armistice flag and through a range of textile processes and materials, participants talked and explored what Peace meant to them as citizens today. The results from each workshop culminated in a display of banners, each the exact same shape and size of the original flag and these were later displayed within Leeds Museum.
Agnis did a fabulous job weaving connections between local communities, the museum and the University. The story of 15 year old Madge Howdill’s Armistice flag, left in the attic of her Leeds home for 100 years, has something for everyone. Agnis mustered all her amazing craft and people skills to encourage groups from all over the city to create their own spectacular peace banners inspired by Madge’s work, culminating in a stunning exhibition - a beacon of optimism for these troubled times’.
Temporary Exhibitions - Leeds City Museum
I have responded to several temporary exhibitions at Leeds City Museum. Through research, I have created workshops which encourage audiences to look further at the collection. The bespoke workshops which I delivered presented an opportunity for participants to make, as they connect with the topic and themes of the exhibition, in a creative and fun way. These have been for adults and children. I have also loved responding to an exhibition personally, creating new work to go on display alongside the other exhibits.
We have worked with Agnis over a number of years, both for our events programme and in our exhibitions. Responding to a number of different briefs from the history of tailoring in Leeds to the activities of Weaver Birds, Agnis has always responded with great sensitivity and creativity and produced really high quality results. Her weaving workshops at the museum have always been really popular and get great feedback from attendees.
Leeds Primary School
I have collaborated on several occasions with this school and helped support students of different ages to create whole class collaborative outcomes. All students learnt new skills whilst creatively making together. These workshops have been popular with boys and girls alike and have resulted in outcomes which can be displayed with pride within school for all to see.
Chirpy
I have collaborated with this local independent shop for many years and have delivered a range of workshops all open to the general public. These workshops allow people to learn new skills and techniques in a relaxed environment, with like minded people.
Agnis has run many wonderful workshops at Chirpy with lots of happy customers. From rag rugging to felting everyone always takes away their own little creation to decorate their home. Agnis' relaxed style of teaching brings the best out of people of all ages and abilities.
Weave | Thread | Stitch | Make
This project drew together local residents from neighbouring communities in Outer West Leeds who were over 55 to weave and sew together over a series of 8 weeks. Participants worked both individually and collaboratively, sharing skills and conversation. This resulted in an exhibition of wall hangings, displayed with Sunny Bank Mills. Supported with funding from Leeds Inspired, part of Leeds City Council.
Woven Identity - St.Mary's House, Leeds and York NHS Partnership
The theme of Identity was explored through a series of weaving workshops in the Art room at St.Mary’s House. Participants joined from the Intensive Community Service or the Community Mental Health Team. Each week we thought how the theme related to ourselves, personally and socially and sometimes shared a little about ourselves. Through discussion and drawing we thought about ways to weave our identity into woven panels. As well as learning new skills, weaving, exploring colour, pattern and texture, the sessions also sought to increase well-being and reduce isolation. These were then exhibited and formed the first exhibition within the ‘Corridor Gallery’ which has helped to create a more welcoming and vibrant space for those visiting for appointments, or meetings for the public and staff alike.
Previous Clients
Schools & Educational Groups
Crafts Council; University of Leeds; Historic England; The Landmark Trust; Carr Manor Community School; Kettlethorpe High School; Beckfoot Upper Heaton School; Allerton High School; Cockburn High School; Greenmount Primary School; Dixons Manningham Primary School; Harden Primary School; Brownhill Primary Academy; Home School Educators, Leeds
Shops & Galleries
Leeds City Museum; Leeds Art Gallery; Yorkshire Sculpture Park; The Hepworth; Abbey House Museum; Sunny Bank Mills; The Piece Hall, Halifax; Rural Arts; Chirpy; Bowery; ArtisOn; Just Makers; Headrow House; Water Lane Boathouse; Crafts in the Pen; Platform Gallery, Clitheroe; Gibson Mill, Hardcastle Crags, Nostel Priory and Parkland, National Trust; Baa Ram Ewe, Harrogate; Wool n Stuff, Wakefield
Community Organisations
St.Mary’s House, Leeds and York NHS Partnership; Potteric Carr, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust; Skelton Grange TCV; Settle Stories; WOVEN in Kirklees; InterACT, Church and Community Partnership; Burley Lodge Centre; The Art House; The Grove Care Home; Art House – Outside the Box; Articentric; Inkwell Arts; SCRAP, creative reuse store for arts and play; Leeds Combined Arts; Tadcaster Community Library; Holt Park Library; Armley Library; St.Gemma’s Hospice; ‘Artfelt’ The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield; Ribble Creative Stitchers; Pleasant Pastimes; Skipton Ewes, Harden, Shibden, Darley Debs, New Swaine, Chapel Pie, The Women’s Institute.
CPD Training, Team Building & Corporate Workshops
Martin House Children’s Hospice; Blackgates Primary School; Betty’s Brand Marketing Team; ASDA Advertising Team; Private Tuition
