Rob Jones: Exploring the Art of Japanese Embroidery

08/07/20 • 42 min

In this episode we are joined by Rob Jones, a shibori textiles designer, natural dyer and founder of Romor Designs.

Rob is joining us this September to deliver the three day course Exploring the Art of Japanese Embroidery where you can learn about Sashiko stitching and Boro mending, as well as Kogin-counted thread embroidery – a practice which Rob is currently the only the only teacher of in the UK.

We talk to Rob about finding his ikigai, the meditative nature of stitching, what’s being covered in Exploring The Art of Japanese Embroidery and how learning from indigo guru Bryan Whitehead in Japan led to shifting careers from a corporate world to a making one. We also discuss how online teaching (with help from The Design Trust) has been working for Rob during lockdown and the mental health benefits of communal making.

In this episode we are joined by Rob Jones, a shibori textiles designer, natural dyer and founder of Romor Designs.

Previous Episode

Dr. Penny Hay: The Role of Creative Thinking

In our latest episode, we are joined by Dr. Penny Hay, who is an artist, educator, research fellow and Senior Lecturer at Bath Spa University.
Working extensively within arts education, Dr. Penny Hay has undertaken a number of research projects into the importance of creativity in education and community building. She runs the charity House of Imagination, spoke at TEDx Bath about the Power of Children's Imagination and has been delivering a virtual version of Forest of Imagination during the pandemic [May - July 2020.]
In this episode we talk about the role of creative thinking within mainstream education, what impact space has on learning and how continuing professional development (or CPD as it is more commonly know) in the creative sector has changed in recent years.
To find out more visit: https://clayhillarts.co.uk/

Next Episode

Mark Devereux and Liz West: Creating Opportunities for Artists

In this episode we are joined by Mark Devereux and Liz West of Mark Devereux Projects.

Since 2013, Mark Devereux Projects have been helping artists and arts organisations by providing tailored information, support and guidance through one-to-one mentoring, group workshops and professional development programmes. They also produce and curate exhibitions, workshops, public talks and participatory events that challenge artists and audiences.

Liz West is co-director of MDP and also a celebrated artist [as well as avid collector of a certain 90s pop group...] Together with freelance arts producer, researcher and writer Jack Welsh, they have been delivering fantastic support to the sector as MDP and hope to continue that through their ongoing programmes and [now] online events.

We speak to Liz about setting up her solo exhibition Colour Ways which was due to open the day we went into lock down. Mark talks about the challenges of looking after a young family during this time and we discuss what Mark Devereux Projects have been doing to translate some of their physical work online, the upcoming opportunities via StudioBook {Online} and the recent online course Which Way Now?