Straw Bears
I was commission by DOCA Devizes and Baseline Circus to create a series of costumes that would be exhibited and used within a wider performance. This project looked to create a series of costumes based on ancient traditional practices like rush weaving. They became a collaborative project with a number of individuals helping the construction of each costume. They were based around traditional folk costumes like the Irish Mummers and more functional traditional wears like the rush coats made by Portuguese Shepards.
Rush weaving is a traditional technique that has been on the decline since the First World War. Used largely for creating chairs, rugs and pot making. The larger projects were often collaborative with multiple people within one village taking on its creation. It was important for us to revist this traditional craft in a new contemporary way. The skills I taught during the workshops also covered the wider practice and its more traditional uses.