Protest Pincushion

Protest Pincushion is a craftivist approach to activism and protest, making clear my objection to the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. I have used textile techniques and a gentle kind of object to make my point. I wanted to use text in textile, reflecting protest banners but in a small and personal way. I took my inspiration from historic pincushions with text made in pins giving in remembrance and as gifts at a birth. This approach also works for me as decorative pincushions are folk art, created at home for creative expression, not commercial pursuit. I’m also influenced by the new Craftspace exhibition We Are Commoners which explores collectivism and community. This piece is part of my commitment to making work which has social justice at its core and will, I hope, give viewers pause for reflection, consider the issues, research and investigate and form and express their own opinion, and take action where possible.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill went through the first stage of parliamentary approval a couple of weeks ago, but there has been huge opposition to the bill which seems to have surprised the government. Civil liberties groups have expressed concerns about the proposed changes to police powers and there is widespread anger that the bill would impose 10 year sentences for damage to statues, which is considerably harsher than many sentences for violent sexual offences against women. And then there was the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil in London. I recommend this article in the Guardian for a simple outline of the issues. There are also issues with this bill about trespass laws which will have a huge negative impact on Gypsy and travelling people.

I have a complex relationship with public protest and have been to a few events over the years but I don’t personally like going to protest events. But it’s not about what I feel comfortable doing, it’s about our right as citizens to express our feelings about policy, laws and government activities in a meaningful and public way. I wholeheartedly believe that we should be able to and that they should be policed proportionately. Violence and criminal behaviour is what gets the press attention but it really is only part of the story. Peaceful protest is incredibly powerful and meaningful.

As a child, I watched tv coverage of Greenham Common protests with both pride and fear when my mum and her friends were there. It has become one of the most important stories of UK protest of the late 20th century. I’m interested in other people’s relationship to protest and what we take a physical stand for. Do you have a protest story you would be willing to share? I hope to create a piece of work reflecting on our feelings about protest.

Find out more about the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and the implications of it.

As well as the Guardian article above, there are petitions galore including this one from 38 Degrees.

For the law around trespass, there’s an article from the Ramblers Association here and I recommend Nick Haynes ‘The Book of Trespass’ to find out more about what rights we have already lost and what more is to come.

EDITED