#51: Making Meaning - Project books and sharing research

This episode is a reflection on how I chose to create Cultures of Care Gathering and the sessions, talks and workshops it involves. I also explore the idea of project books, my way of collecting inspiration and ideas into sketchbooks. I'll be sharing a number of project books at the Gathering, alongside my finished works. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

It's episode FIFTY! and the podcast's 4th birthday this week. This is just a mini solo one, sharing some of the story of the Cultures of Care project and how I've brought it all together to create Cultures of Care Gathering 19-20 July. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

Deb McGuire is back! We recording a long conversation and I've split it into two episodes, of which this is the second. I suggest you start with Episode 48 first, as that's where Deb introduces herself and her work. This is a continuation of our chat which focusses more on Mary Linwood and my forthcoming exhibition about her (opening 13th September at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery). Much like the first episode, this is a fun chat between two people really fascinated by Mary Linwood's life and work. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

In this series I’m exploring textile making and the many complex meanings around textile making practice. This episode is the first of a two-parter with quilt maker and historian Deb McGuire, because we had so much to talk about that we made two episodes! There’s such a lot of overlap in our interests that its not surprising that we talked for ages! We talk about her work in quilting in a frame, her research and lots about the emotions of sewing and working with others. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

It's been a while, but Making Meaning is back! This series will be full of conversations about textile making and meaning. This episode is with Jayne Childs. We talk about lace and heritage and the passion to innovate and create as well as the history of materials and methods. We talk about creating artwork and wearable pieces, about the stories that old cloth can tell, about telling new stories through contemporary practice and about collecting and reusing lace.  You can find Jayne’s work at: https://jcmiddlebrook.co.uk/ Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

Series Five of Making Meaning is here. A lot of this series will be focussing on textiles, although there will be some other stories, conversations and solo episodes coming up too. This week I am starting by sharing two of my talks from the Cultures of Care Group from the end of 2024. Cultures of Care Group is a free online discussion group about care in creative practice. Each month I share a talk about my reflections on an aspect of care in my creative work. In October and November 2024 the group discussed textiles, and I’ve combined these two talks into this one episode to launch this new series focussed on cloth and sewing, and all the meanings they contain.  Join a future Cultures of Care group Find out more about my Mary Linwood project Join my newsletter Full details of the episode, including a transcript

This short episode is a brief introduction to my research project about 18th century embroidery artist Mary Linwood. The episode includes a very short history about her, and then details of the community projects I'm running over the next few months, that you can take part in too. You can find out about them below, as well as a bit more about Mary Linwood here. Stitching Emotions: Collaborative project for the Mary Linwood exhibition Connected Threads: A community textiles project Find full details about the episode, including a transcript: https://ruthsinger.com/2024/11/22/mary-linwood-and-me-making-meaning-podcast-episode-45

This podcast is again from my Cultures of Care Group and in a change to the usual, it includes the group discussion as well as my talk, which is my reflections on productivity as an artist and what that means to me now as a research-based artist more than a maker of things. I talk about making and doing what you want to do is a self-care practice and that my creativity is more than my productivity in a traditional sense.  We talk at the end about the importance of textile making as a community activity, which actually leads perfectly into the next Cultures of Care Group sessions in October and November which focus on textiles and care. Find out more: https://ruthsinger.com/2024/10/08/productivity-and-creative-practice-making-meaning-podcast-episode-44/

My Cultures of Care project wasn’t intentionally all about nature and landscape connection, yet that is what a lot of it has turned out to be. This podcast episode is my exploration of how nature, outdoors and landscape in its widest sense have influenced my work. I talk about projects on landscape history and community projects making in nature and with nature. This was part of my Cultures of Care Group session for August. The next sessions are in September, October and November and are open for bookings now, and I would love it if you could join me then. The sessions are free. Find out more and read the transcript at https://ruthsinger.com/2024/09/01/nature-and-care-making-meaning-podcast-episode-43/ You can also find out more about my Maker Membership here https://ruthsinger.com/membership/

In my nearly 20 years of creative work, I've developed a real passion for creating artwork with the input of others, either in group making or through contributions of stories. This podcast explores what I mean by co-creation and what benefits it brings to me and those who contribute.  Find out more and read the transcript at https://ruthsinger.com/2024/06/11/co-creation-making-meaning-podcast-episode-42/ The gallery of co-created projects is here https://ruthsinger.com/co-creation-projects/ These talks are part of my Cultures of Care Group sessions which are free online discussion groups, once a month. The next ones are in July and August, dates and links to book are here: https://ruthsinger.com/cultures-of-care/cultures-of-care-group/ Find out more about reflective writing course here https://ruthsinger.com/2024/05/26/reflective-writing-for-creative-practice/ and my Maker Membership here https://ruthsinger.com/membership/