Facilitating
Art in the community
After finishing her PGCE PCET in the summer of 2022, Karina started the Sewing Social, which at the time was intended to be a six week banner making workshop operating on an accessible pay what you can system in Umbrella in Cardiff. Very quickly she found fellow enthusiasts and practitioners like herself who needed a third space to create, share skills and exchange ideas.
Over the past three years, the Sewing Social has grown not just in numbers but in the outreach and output of community focused projects. We have proudly worked with Cowley Community Closet, the SPAF Collective, Fashion Revolution, Cardiff Women’s Aid, The SAFE Foundation and Cardiff Acorn.
As well as running the Sewing Social; Karina works as a freelance community artist, collaborating with galleries such as; Y Galeri in Caernarfon, local community focused institutions such as Caerphilly Miners, as well as Caerphilly and Torfaen Borough Councils. Karina delivers art workshops to adult community groups, NEET youth, ILS and wellbeing organisations.
Community banner project, Acorn Cardiff 2022-2025
Gwneud, |March 2025
Gwneud logo created by Efa Blosse-Mason
Gwneud was an exhibition funded by the Arts Council Wales, it was a natural extension of the Sewing Social celebrating Welsh textiles and the growing popularity of sustainable textile practice in Wales. This exhibition hosted 32 Welsh artists from across Wales and England and had a wide range of free workshops that explored different textile processes. Gwneud was ran in partnership with Ty Turner and Cardiff Umbrella
Mission statement:
“Gwneud is an exhibition that brings together pioneering Welsh artists from around the UK to platform their exciting practices and encourage them to inspire and up-skill their communities. Through thought-provoking installations and evocative artworks this exhibition will feature works that confront the viewer with the harsh realities of the textile industry and inspire a call to action. This exhibition will emphasise the potential for small scale changes that communities and individuals alike can make to build towards a more sustainable future. Alongside the exhibition there will be a wide range of free workshops open to all skill levels. The public will have the opportunity to learn new skills such as; embroidery, pattern cutting, up-cycling and quiltmaking. Welsh textiles hold a significant place within the broader tapestry of textile art. The country's textile industry has played a vital role in shaping its cultural identity and economic development.”
Photos by Delphi Campbell and Olivia Daisy Coles
