In the first week of May, Ayan and I were fortunate enough to do a residency in Hawkwood.
It now feels a bit like a dream looking back on those 5 days. The grand stone house set within the stunning Cotswold rolling hills really takes your breath away.
We had a lovely garden room to work in. It was such a treat to have the time and space to work in a wonderful environment. It really helped that the other residents were so much fun to chat to in between our thinking/weaving time.
We were learning about Somali nomadic weaving techniques that we want to use in an interactive audible tapestry for an installation. It was a really healing environment in which to do this work.
We were able to do walks in between weaving just to clear our heads and the garden and ground were such a special space to take time out to really be grounded, which really linked to our practice of exploring embodied ways of understanding the world.
One of the best things about the experience was the excellent food- breakfast, lunch and dinner all done so well. As well as afternoon tea and cake. It was such a nurturing space to work in and so nice to have no distractions so we could think about our next steps.
It was the first residency Ayan and I had done and I think we have now been spoilt. I really can’t imagine anywhere being as good for setting ambitious and positive work intentions for your creative journey.
We have since worked on our underlaying values and mission for the collective, we have put in a funding bid to Arts Council DCYP as result of the residency, and we are showcasing our findings from weaving and sound based works at Numbi Arts Festival on Thursday 30th of June.
https://www.dhaqan.org/event-details/numbi-fest-2022-audible-tapestries
Thank you so much Hawkwood for this opportunity. It really made a huge difference to us and our future practice.
Full credit to the Dhaqan Collective and it’s members, with thanks to the DCMS & Arts Council England for their funding.
