We work with young people from around Birmingham to investigate how they can make a positive social change using Craftivism (craft + activism).
You can find out about our previous activities on the Making For Change blog.
What happens?
Young people come together to learn, explore, discuss and make; creating campaigns around issues that are important to them in order to generate a change in themselves and their community. Sometimes they complete an arts award and we aim to signpost them on to other local opportunities. Participants have also become involved in other Craftspace projects including paid opportunities.
What is the Impact?
Participants:
- have increased skills and confidence,
- are able to have their say on matters that affect them,
- develop making skills and explore how to use them within social action,
- start on their journey of change-making,
- Sometimes they complete an arts award and we aim to signpost them on to other local opportunities. Participants have also become involved in other Craftspace projects including paid opportunities.
Why do we do it?
We believe that making with your hands is powerful. Making for Change creates safe spaces where you can come together, learn new things and develop ideas. Through the process of making those ideas become a reality.
Making for Change is a long-term project for Craftspace. Since 2014 we have worked with many young people as participants, engaged with hundreds of others as audience members and experimented with a variety of models. We plan to keep working with young people from across Birmingham.
Funders and Partners
We are very grateful to all the funders who have enabled Making for Change to happen. These have included:
- Energy Saving Trust who are funding the 2023-24 project, Making for Climate Change.
- Arts Council England who funded our digital residency.
- Birmingham City Council who funded Making My Mark.
- Arts Connect West Midlands who funded the research and development phase. WA Cadbury, Unity Trust Bank and Awards for All who funded the pilot week and enabled us to give ongoing support to two young people to develop their campaigns further.
- Birmingham City Council, WA Cadbury and Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust who funded Making for Change in Aston and Newtown.
- Youth Social Action Fund who supported the Maker Mentor programme.
- Saintbury and the Grimmitt Trust who are funding Making For Change Expo.
Making for Change wouldn’t have been possible without support from some key partners over the years. They have included :
- MAC (Midlands Arts Centre) Birmingham who provided a fantastic venue to host the pilot in and supported us with access to computers and other equipment.
- Podnosh who provided sessions on accessing data and helped young people to crystallise some facts around their campaigns.
- Grosvenor Road Studios who were the venue for Making for Change in Aston and Newtown and Aspire4u who worked with us to recruit participants.
Across the programme we have worked with a range of skilled makers, artists, activists, data specialists and youth mentors. Examples of their work and how they have facilitated young people to develop their campaigns can be seen on the blog and also on the Expo.
Making for Change has always been a youth led project and we work with young creatives to deliver our projects.
The first version of Making for Change was led by creative apprentice Sarah Lopez.
During the pandemic young creatives Daljinder Johal and Hayley Salter worked together to create an online exhibition of craftivist campaigns.
Cara Standham led the Truth of the Youth research residency culminating in a physical exhibition at The Gap a Birmingham youth arts space.
