I now seemed to have left the lazy days of summer behind with a vengeance. Yesterday we had our first official launch committee meeting for the Eastern Region Textile Forum. It went extremely well and my colleagues who have offered to help get this venture 'off the ground' are a marvelous bunch willing to put in so much commitment it makes me feel quite guilty. The forum will launch on April 19th next year at the Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford so anyone interested in joining should contact me via this site and I can send you out detailed information. We are proposing a group to promote textile art in Eastern England by conferences, e-newsletter, forging links with organisations, exhibitions, discussion forums,education, a mentoring list, and basically anything else that the membership desires. It was born out of indignation for the lack of support and gravitas that is given to Textile Art and I hope it will be a small step to righting this wrong. We want to draw together all textile disciplines not just those of us who stitch. It will mean a lot of hard work but should also become something exciting and dynamic.
Talking of hard work I am starting my Cultural Stitch module for OPUS and I feel really excited it gives me the opportunity to explore with permission those areas I don't normally allow myself time for.
Someone said to me the other day that they admire my calmness if only they knew I am a bit like a swan- serene on the surface but paddling like heck below the waterline!