About

Travelling workshops run by Kim Searle. All my workshops are based on encouraging sustainability, building community and supporting attendees well-being. I mostly work across West Yorkshire, South Devon, Dorset and Hampshire and the surrounding areas, but willing to travel. I also runs workshops at festivals, art events and community days.

I am passionate about ensuring craft sessions are accessible to all, providing discounts on most courses for people on low/no incomes, seeking out venues that are wheelchair accessible and ensuring that workshops are calming with more of an emphasis on enjoyment and new skills over perfection.

I run a wide range of activities, including Jesmonite Plant Pots, Macrame, Marbling, Book Binding, Upcycling, Rag Rugging, Batik, Pom Pom Making, Paper Making, Kumihimo Braiding, Lino Cutting and Printing and lots more. They can be tailored to all different age groups, and can be altered to fit different events and themes, as well as different run times depending on schedules.

Workshops are run with a relaxed, informal and inclusive atmosphere, letting people go at their own pace. Materials, guidance and technical assistance are provided but everyone is encouraged to push their own creativity, and most of all have a good time!

I have partnered with lots of different venues and groups including the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, Lucy and Yak, Frank & Olive’s Crochet Retreat, Holmfirth ArtWeek, Towneley Hall in Burnley, various different Women’s Institute groups and lots more. I also run workshops at festivals including Glastonbury, Green Man, End of the Road, Underneath the Stars, Deershed, Wychwood Cornbury, Greenbelt, Just So, Beacons, FarmFest, BeatHerder and more.

I work with a wide range of charities including Support to Recovery (where I work part time), Aspire Creating Communities, Mermaids, The Sanctuary Clothing Project, the Change Project and more.

Over lockdown I quickly pivoted to working online providing zoom and facebook live sessions for Frill and Flounce, Support to Recovery, the Virtual Village Hall, Hampshire Cultural Trust, Leeds Art University Union, the Teenage Cancer Trust and a one off sessions. These often included accompanying kits so that people could craft along at the same time, or a list of easy to find materials to work with. I also relearnt how to film and edit video and provided pre recorded workshops for Support to Recovery, Woven in Kirklees, the Change Project and a few for my own youtube channel.

I co-founded sustainable textile Community Interest Company Thread Republic, alongside Holly Carr, Julia Roebuck and Nicola Twynham. This is a Kirklees affiliate of Totnes based Mend Assembly, alongside Isle of Wight affiliate Stitch Department. We have a shared goal of creating circular textile economies and creating community through creativity.

I work alongside Woven in Kirklees- in the 2020 festival I was part of coordinating thousands of craft kits to be delivered to disadvantaged children in Kirklees as well as working with the Big Rainbow knit and creating a large scale piece of macrame. This can now be seen at Hive Community Cafe in Huddersfield. I also coordinated piecing together a collaborative butterfly piece with woven and felted pieces from local school children around Batley. This was displayed at Batley Train station as a sister piece to the

I studied BA (Hons) Textile Crafts at the University of Huddersfield, specialising in textile printing. I’ve also studied weaving, felting, bookbinding, dark room photography and fine art printing at L'Ecole des Beaux Artes at Besancon, The Academy of Design in Kuopio and Leeds University, as well as studying a range of creative techniques on a foundation course at UcCA Canterbury.

Artists CV:

-Workshop Leader and business owner at Darn It! Workshops 2013-Present

Planning, advertising, delivering and coordinating workshops for a wide range of audiences.

-Co-founder and Director of Thread Republic

-Artist at The Change Project 2020

Working with year 3s and 7s at Batley Grammar School on Science themed artwork, including creating at home activities during lockdown. (https://changeproject.co.uk/)

-Co-Founder of The Making Space, Huddersfield

-Workshop Leader at Greenhead Park Art Club 2015-2018

Delivering creative workshops for 5-12 year olds based on Greenhead Park and the changing seasons.

-Screenprinting Assistant Technician at University of Huddersfield 2012-2018

Technical support: mixing dyes and pastes, stripping, cleaning and maintaining silk screens. Helping to prepare material stock over the summer before students return.

-Wedding Stationary Maker at Norma & Dorothy 2014-2016

Hand finishing printed wedding stationery to very high quality with tight deadlines.
Wrapping and packaging the stationery to a high standard.
Hand finishing, packaging and shipping wedding stationery samples.

-Features Writer at Crafty Magazine 2013-2014

-Artist in Residence at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, 2012-2014