The Project
D.O.A.P. stands for Descendants Of Ancient Peoples and D.O.A.P Craft Circles are spaces to make D.O.A.P. things. Just as the word ‘dope’ has been reappropriated—from a term linked to negativity or drugs to one that means something powerful and cool—we are reclaiming crafting from its neutralized, surface-level associations with ‘sustainability.’ In doing so, we redefine it in ways that more truthfully reflect the lived experiences, cultural knowledge, and creative practices of all community members, including BIPOC folks. Recognizing that all humans are Descendants of Ancient Peoples, and we all have crafting traditions to draw on, this Growing A.R.C. project proposes a series of four workshops (2 structured workshops and 2 drop-in style sessions) that invite participants to consider histories and possibilities of sustainability through diasporic textile practices. Growing A.R.C. is a nonprofit organization cofounded and sustained by folks working, living, and studying at the intersections of community, textile, environment and education. These proposed sessions entitled D.O.A.P Craft Circles, will draw on the manual crafts of crochet, sewing, handspinning and repair to connect to our individual and collective histories, situate ourselves in our present, and open the door to reimagine new futures.
Purpose
Dominant narratives and enactments of sustainability in University spaces and society at large often discount the experiences of the global majority while simultaneously co-opting the cultural and artistic practices of these communities. For many ancient peoples, culture , craft and sustainability are all interconnected. Sustainability is more than a practice- it is a way of being. Craft spaces that only focus on the material manipulation as an activity and do not discuss connections to histories and cultural dynamics can alienate folks from the Global Majority from craft, and perpetuate monolithic, and often White representations of textile and art spaces. This approach has a direct impact on expressions of sustainability, which may not resonate with Black, Indigenous, and racialized folks (Taylor, 2015) Our D.O.A.P. Circles challenge this mechanism of exclusion (Gibson-Wood & Wakefield, 2012); through knowledge and skill sharing spaces rooted in relational and interconnected modalities of the discussion and practice of sustainability. D.O.A.P recognizes that textile art practices are a means to reconnect, remember, relearn and reclaim our cultural and historical connections using inclusion and interconnectedness to build sustainable communities regardless of the dominant world view.
Forecasted results and Impacts
Crafting provides a platform for us to question what sustainability looks like from a D.O.A.P perspective. Combining conversations with embodied practice, D.O.A.P Craft Circles will help participants develop agency and engage in sustainable world making through crafts. In addition, these spaces will foster community among different members of the Concordia community. We will create safe, vulnerable and inclusive spaces both on campus at SHIFT and off-campus at the Pole Textile situated in Escale Circulaire. where participants will develop and share new crafting skills and ideas, while learning about personal and collective histories of material culture. Facilitating workshops at the Pole Textile will hopefully invite D.O.A.P. members to see themselves as members of larger Montreal and global communities, and explore other textile-based community spaces.
We estimate 15-20 folks will participate in each of the workshops and drop-in sessions.
While this series will invite participants from all walks of life into craft circles, we aim to increase BIPOC folks’ engagement in sustainability in ways that are relevant to their daily lives, and take concrete actions to ensure these circles are responsive to their needs.
References:
Gibson-Wood, H., & Wakefield, S. (2013). “Participation”, White Privilege and Environmental Justice: Understanding Environmentalism Among Hispanics in Toronto. Antipode, 45(3), 641–662. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8330.2012.01019.x
Taylor, D. E. (2015). Gender and racial diversity in environmental organizations: uneven accomplishments and cause for concern. Environmental Justice, 8, 165–180
YEARS FUNDED
2025
AMOUNT ALLOCATED
$5000