Goldsmiths Design lecturer Rose Sinclair will hold a talk at The National Archives on Saturday, 12 November, as part of the Black British History series of talks: “Dorcas stories : archives, spaces memories and making”.
Dorcas, a woman who made garments for the poor (Bible: Acts chapter 9, versus 36-42), gave her name to countless Dorcas societies. These societies and clubs became embedded carriers of knowledge exchange and culture in textiles practice.
For women migrating from the Caribbean to Britain in the 1950s and 60s they would continue to provide a safe space to share ‘church’ and textile expertise and much more within the front room, a space where these particular textiles were produced. Rose Sinclair presents a curated talk about the hidden history of Dorcas clubs and the contribution of Caribbean women to a British textiles aesthetic through what they describe as the ‘gift’ of textiles.
This interactive talk event will be followed by a craft session with Rose, where participants will examine textiles in our collections such as the BT Design Register featuring graphic depictions related to ‘Junkanoo’ an expression of Caribbean Carnival and other African traditions. The collections will act as starting points for crafting and sharing new ‘Dorcas’ aesthetics in new spaces.
Talk event – 12:00-13:00 (FREE)
Craft workshop – 14:00-16:00 (£5 – limited places)
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