Peer Feedback

Year 2
STUDENT PEER FEEDBACK 

STUDENT: Annahita Mackee
GROUP MEMBER FEEDING BACK: Julia Tchoudinova
 

To what extent is there evidence of critical reflection and of analysis of progress?
Annahita reflected and analyzed her project very intensively and extensively.
 

Is there a clear alignment between the stated motivation and the research
question?
It is a very clear alignment between Annahita's motivation and her question.
 

To what extent is the proposed artefact testing process clearly aligned to the
research question?
I like that Annahita uses different approaches to test her artefact: by questionary,
phisically, online.
 

To what extent is content and communication, rather than aesthetic appeal or
eventual commercial goals, at the forefront of the research process?
It feels like Annahita's question is going deeper and deeper with her research and
iteration.
 

To what extent is there a clear indication that artefact testing is actually in
progress at the present time?
It is absolutely clear that Annahita is passionately carrying on both her research and
testing. It seems a good balance is there.
 

IN YOUR ESTIMATION WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE PROJECT? 

Annahita's personal interest and passion in the subject. Her organsing skills and commitment. 

WHERE ARE THE GAPS IN, OR THREATS TO, THE PROJECT AS IT HAS BEEN
DESCRIBED TO YOU?  

I do not see any problem.

"The 3-Form Varia Collection is made through a patented process, in which fabrics, papers, woods, stone grit, natural products, glass and printed photographic images are encapsulated in the thermoplastic resin called EcoResin PETG , instead of acrylic. PETG has very good fire-resistance properties, making the collection better suitable for indoor applications in public buildings or facades. Various reliefs and surface textures as well as a wide range of designs, surfaces and colours, and varying degrees of opacity are available.

The panels made with the EcoResin PETG consist of 40% recycled materials. They can be used outside, but only with a transparent UV-coating on 1 or both sides. Sheets can also be given a “hard coat” finish on each side. This coating provides additional resistance to scratching, as well as allowing for easy clean up from ink and other substances." 

January 2011

New Year, final year of my Masters.  Really need to ensure I  keep up all the momentum from the last few months, as this will only get hard.  I need to create time and space for my project.  It must now become its own lifesource.  

This month I have enjoyed completing my Life Beyond a Box project, however was slightly disappointed in the first tutorial when others had not done the project, perhaps would have been better in this instance to mix up the groups a bit, so we could discuss everyone's.  

My project has progressed in another direction slightly now in that I have also been thinking about games that groups could create from things they find around the hosue that allow them to interact together, the games would obviously teach different crafting skills in the initial creation stages and then just be great fun to play.  

My session with the ladies at the Craft Council Research Centre have been very productive and I would like to go there as many times as is possible, its a great resource.  

I completed another version of my pro forma as did the others in my group and we have given feedback to each other on these.  I feel mine is pretty detailed and robust now. My question currently is:

How can traditional practices and culture be maintained with the use of crafting in contemporary society?

Feedback from the tutorial was very useful although I do feel I was being led to create more of an experience in the community, in parks etc, whereas I feel the kits I want to create will have a similar but smaller effect.  But the feedback did lead me to think about a new possible use for my kit.  I was thinking when studios have their open days/evenings, there are always a lot of children around with not much to do.  It would be great if they (and their parents) could bring in old items to reuse and recycle and the designer makers in the studios give them ideas of what is possible and teach them some basic crafting skills, so that families can participate together to create something new.  I am sure the designer makers also have some waste materials the families could utilise.  

As a group we have started to discuss the exhibition quite a lot on our facebook group, although we feel rather naughty, as it has been reiterated a number of times that starting the process too early is not recommended as once we are joined with the full timers everything can change!  I think we all have very high standards and some great ideas about what we would like to achieve and so it is of course worrying to think a lot of this will be in someone else's hands.  I personally have never had an exhibition before and I really want this to be amazing as it will probably be the only time in my life I am involved in something like this.  

Whilst thinking about the exhibition I have also come a number of exciting ways of displaying my research process and artefact iteration.  Firstly, video, I would like to use video ethnography in my research and have a film up in my exhibition.  I would also like to use photography and personal items from those that have been involved in my project to make a giant charm bracelet or patchwork quilt.  

I really hope the ethnography will give me key insights which I can then use to evolve my artefacts.  

I feel I have been very productive preparing for the ethnographic interviews, understanding existing strategies for crafting in this country and community efforts that are already taking place.   I hope to get more involved in some of the existing Craft Council schemes and see what I can learn from these.

Home-made, all inclusive Olympics

My thoughts about creating kits for games to play with your family/in your community, things you can make and play together have led me to write this post.  London is not quite at Olympic fever, but people do talk about the stadium as it slowly takes form.  How about meeting up and creating your own Olympics to fuel the debate.  Afterall the central message of the Olympics is friendship and peace, use this to get to know your neighbours...

Then you can start your Olympics:

• Start by making your own Olympic flags, incorporate something important from everyone or each group of people, and this way you can learn about each others backgrounds.  
• Set up an obstacle course in your backyard using lawn furniture, old tires, and anything else you can find that people have to go around, climb under or over, and go through.
• Make some Water Weights and have a weight lifting competition.
• Play volleyball, but instead of trying to hit the ball back and forth, each team must catch the ball with a blanket and throw it back the same way!
• Make your own Bean Bags and have a throwing competition. Use boxes, cans, paper bags, etc to make targets.
• See who can blow the biggest bubble.
• Have an egg and spoon race

Today we went to the wonderful annual Wildlife Photography exhibition at the Natural History Museum, as ever there were some amazing photo's, even though you seemed to be pushed through and out the other end like cattle, I would still never miss it.  This year they also had work from photojournalists, my favourite was Kai Fagerström's, Red squirrel keeps a lookout.

Whilst there we also checked out the new Darwin Centre, which was beautiful, amazing deisgn, interactive installations and surprisingly quiet. 

For a quick drink and sit down, we popped down to the new V&A Reading Rooms on Exhibition Road, a wonderfully ecclectic bookshop/bar/cafe combo, very relaxing, lovely window seats and great home-made lemonade and ginger snaps!

Beautiful art from nature

Willow Artist
Lizzie Farey
Edinburgh - The City Art Centre

My friend ET sent me this, beautiful...

Far North. Reindeer (Grand Nord. Renne)
Collage, paper cut

Community Craft

Over the last few weeks I have carried out a lot of research on the importance of craft to people of all age groups and backgrounds.  Especially the importance it has in engaging young people in their education. 

Today I spoke to the Craft Council about community programmes with children and young people.  

They currently have the following:

CAN - Craft Action Network

"CAN aims to tap into the breadth and diversity of the craft, cultural and education sectors and share examples of best practice.  The excellent work that teachers, lecturers and makers are already doing to highlight the personal, educational, and socio-economic value of craft can be used as a blue print for creative education.  

CAN is a vehicle for ongoing professional development and research in craft education, maintaining learning and participation at its heart. 

CAN offers a dedicated networking site for professionals to:

• Network, collaborate, socialise and share resources with other CAN members
• Reflect critically on teaching and learning in contemporary craft practice
• Publish case studies and papers about craft education
• Develop an evidence base to better understand and advocate for all areas of craft"

Firing Up

There has been a decline in interest in ceramics education this program 'refires’ kilns in schools to reinspiryoung people.   

"Firing Up is a new national programme of highlighting clay and ceramics. The initiative has been development by the Crafts Council through a steering committee of representatives from NALN, NSEAD, University of the Arts (London), Clayground Collective and Ofsted. The core elements have been designed to:

1. Raise awareness of the importance of clay in our everyday lives and in world cultures;

2. Support schools in using this medium creatively and confidently, and in optimising its educational value for students and creating sustainable local links;

3. Showcase and exhibit the work of young people; and

4. Demonstrate the links between clay-work and the wider creative industry sector showing that working in ceramics is a viable career choice.

The programme uses a ‘cluster’ format that will be constructed around the ceramics departments within partner Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Each regional cluster will consist of one HEI who will supply a ceramics ‘ambassador’ (usually the ceramics course leader), a technician and up to ten students, and five secondary schools.

It includes the following core elements:
• ‘Kiln Rehab’ – the rejuvenation of clay facilities in participant schools, supported by the expertise of ceramic –specialist staff from partner HEIs.
• ‘Clay Skills Training’ – twilight CPD for cluster teachers to build confidence and expertise using clay in the classroom.
• ‘Project Clay’ – an innovative creative workshop programme designed by Clayground Collective and delivered by local practitioners to enthuse and inspire the school community through a collaborative project.

Each phase of the programme has been carefully designed to support and inspire schools in using this magical material confidently and creatively with their pupils, in as broad a way as possible. In particular, we hope that through the building of sustainable relationships with HEIs and local schools, as ‘critical friends’, schools will feel inspired to take risks and enlarge upon the scope of the medium in a cross-curricular dimension as part of a creative curriculum."

Craft Club

Craft Club provides schools and community groups with a craft learning resource package to help them engage young people in crafts and start their own creative club. 

 

They have "developed this initiative in response to the amount of interest from teachers who need only minimal support in order to set up clubs in their schools during extended hours, at lunch or after school. However, schools are not the only benefactors of this exciting scheme which has the potential to increase participation in craft learning in a range of other educational and cultural venues (see ‘Who?’ for details).

Knit 1, Pass It On
Craft Club launched its first scheme in 2009, called Knit 1, Pass It On. A simple concept with a magnificent ripple effect: knitters are asked to pass on their yarn skills to at least one other person, who can then do the same. And on it goes…"

Craft Club Partners
The project is in conjunction with:

- UK Handknitting Association (UKHKA) 

- National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI)

• 

DCSF: Extended Services Offer	Craft Club Offer
1. Childcare (in primary and special schools)	A safe, supportive and fun place for young people to go to in their lunch or after school
2. A varied menu of activities including study support, sport and music clubs	A rolling programme of craft forms and creative projects for enrichment, including an interactive web package for children and young people to network with craftspeople, share practical tips and resources, and win prizes.
3. Swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services	A network of specialist makers, craftspeople and skilled volunteers to present a high quality learning experience
4. Parenting support including family learning	‘Cascade’ and intergenerational learning (passing on of skills between groups, e.g. generations of a family)
5. Community access to facilities including adult and family learning, ICT and sports facilities.	An invitation for a wider pool of participants to visit a school or cultural venue to access its facilities and resources and engage in craft learning.

* from Craft Council website

Revival

This programme is a contemporary craft workshop which is delivered by ReachOutRCA (the Royal College of Art’s lively outreach team).  "Revival seems to reveal to the creative educator about approaching teaching the way they approach making: embracing the risks, and sensitive to opportunities offered forth by a particular set of circumstances.  The gap between ‘maker’ and ‘learner’ appears to be occupied by something the Revival artists refer to as “surprising” and “an inspiring privilege” – qualities evocative of the most rewarding creative journey."

Revival aims to raise the aspirations of the pupils involved, developing the making/thinking abilities.  Much like the Creative partnerships programmes it brings contemporary practitioners into the classroom.  

Arts awards Welcome

Finally, this programme supports young people’s development through arts awards opportunities.  Giving young people a certificate at 3 different levels, much lift Duke of Edinburgh schemes or IT training they complete in secondary schools.
 the qualification looks great on their CV but even better by completing and applying for an award they build up their very own portfolio's. 

• Bronze award: take part in a club, and share your skills

• Silver award: take up a new challenge, organise an event or lead a Craft Club session

• Gold Award: run a Craft Club and deliver an event for Arts Leadership challenge like a craft sale or a fashion show

Another good session at the Crafts Council, wrote up a to do list and got through quite a few points. Have emailed Craft Central to set up another meeting to discuss the possibility of getting their interns involved in my video ethnography.

Siren Elise Wilhelmsen
Knitting Clock

This is amazing, only a few weeks ago I was researching frame knitting and now I have come across this amazing invention, that makes a 2m scarf slowly over the course of a year, a wonderful combination on old techniques and modern technology.

Ethnography Interview Guide for non-craft people

I would like to ask these questions of the volunteers I get to take part in different activities.   These people will not normally take part in such activities.  From these ethnographic studies I hope to unearth elements to involve in my artefact.


Introduction
Name, age, have you ever got involved in crafting before, if so, what?
If not, why?  Are you interested/excited about the possibility?
Personal and professional ambitions?

WHAT
What did you get involved in today?
What do you feel you have learnt?
What could you gain from a pursuit like this?
What were your expectations and opinions before you tried this? What were your assumptions about crafting and people who craft?


WHY
for the above?

HOW
Will you continue/try anything else?
How will you find out more?

WHO
Who will you ask for help?
Who will you tell?
Who will you get involved?

IF
If you could take anything form this what would it be?
If you could ask a craft/designer/maker something, what would it be?
Have your assumptions about crafting changed?

Peer Feedback

Year 2

25 January feedback proforma

STUDENT PEER FEEDBACK version

STUDENT: Annahita Mackee
GROUP MEMBER FEEDING BACK: Joseph Adjei

To what extent is there evidence of critical reflection and analysis of progress?

There is evidence of critical analysis and clearly explained progress and thinking. Steady artefact development

Is there a clear alignment between the stated motivation and research question?

There is alignment between motivation and questions and I believe it could be clearer when there is more convergence of the questions

To what extent is content and communication, rather than aesthetic appeal or eventual commercial goals, at the forefront of the research process?

Annahita is very clear in her report about communicating the research process. I think it’s a good trail.

To what extent is there a clear indication that artefact testing is actually in progress at the present time?

There is evidence of artefact iteration which has even helped refine the question

In your estimation:
What are the strengths of the project?
Where are the gaps in, or threats to, the project as it has been described to you? (no more than 3 of each, please)

I think your HOW is thorough, extensive and might open up other areas you can pick up after the course which I’ve mentioned earlier. Because as much as people like technology and development, identity could closely be linked to crafts and initiatives could even be proposed to governments who would like to preserve culture closely linked to crafts and its related skills.

I really like this ring from  Mabel Hassell, a very innovative way of using stones for a ring, reminds me of a mountain range viewed from above. 

"Inspired by the colours and cuts of gemstones, my current work focuses on highlighting gems by presenting them in a different perspective and in a non-precious manner. This approach allows me to create unorthodox pieces that emphasise the vibrant gemstones even more so than just setting them traditionally."