Women Who Make online events

If you missed either of our Women Who Make online talks or want to revisit them, they're now available on our YouTube channel - see below.

Our first online talk - A Patchwork of Dreams was hosted by Derbyshire Makes Creative Director, Claire Tymon, alongside public art curator Cathy Newbery, lead artist Sue Reddish and Pip Jenkins, Design Director at John Smedley. The discussion explored the vital role of women in shaping Dare to Dream - from the six brilliant artists working across Derbyshire to the countless women whose craftsmanship has historically been the backbone of the textile industry.

Dare to Dream is a textile-based project that creatively repurposes waste materials, weaving together individual and collective dreams for the future. In this conversation, we explored how making, storytelling, and collaboration can empower communities and inspire new possibilities.

Sue said she is especially excited about using recycled fabrics to turn “the old and discarded into something full of purpose and pride...This is art that listens. Art that connects. And art that dares to dream about something better.”

Cathy is helping shape the bigger picture of Dare to Dream by bringing together community-made artworks into a shared narrative. “We don’t know what it will be yet – and that’s okay. It’s about trusting the process of making, and believing something beautiful will emerge.”

Pip gave a dynamic and moving talk – part company history, part personal story, and part tribute to the craftsmanship of everyone working at the company, past and present. She’s been with John Smedley for 14 years and now leads the design team.

Our second online talk - Connecting with Nature through Art and Conversation, also hosted by Derbyshire Makes Creative Director, Claire Tymon, featured Cora Glasser of Glassball Studio (lead artist for MAKE Room), Feimatta Conteh (Sustainability Manager at Arts Council England), and Lucy Bird (dancer, facilitator, healer, and sustainability professional).

Cora Glasser leads Glassball Studio’s MAKE Room, a roaming art initiative that invites communities to engage with sustainable materials and explore local environmental practices.

Feimatta Conteh is dedicated to embedding sustainability in the arts through her work at the Arts Council England.

Lucy Bird facilitates NatureDance workshops, helping individuals cultivate deeper connections with themselves and the natural world through movement and meditation. She is also a project manager for Derbyshire Dales Community Energy.

If you want to read more about nature and sustainability, here is a book recommendation:

Ways of Being by James Bridle – a fascinating exploration of intelligence in nature and how we might rethink our relationship with the world.

And if you want to explore further, read more about:
Inner Development Goals – a global initiative focusing on the inner capabilities we need to meet our sustainability goals, including qualities like connection, courage, and compassion.