Chilean Arpilleras Workshop

Chilean Arpilleras Workshop
-

This is a past event

Arpilleras are a Chilean textile art form which were used during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) to chronicle everyday lives and bear witness to the political situation.

Traditionally made by women from scraps of fabric and materials to hand, arpilleras offered an income in difficult economic circumstances and a voice with which to tell their stories of resistance, in a context of death squads, disappearances and prison camps.

Arpilleras were sold clandestinely in Chile, given to exiles far from home and sold internationally to raise awareness of the political situation. Making, buying, selling, giving and receiving arpilleras were acts of resistance and solidarity.

In this workshop on Tuesday 28 July 2020 from 3pm-5pm, Prof. Patience Schell, Chair in Hispanic Studies, will discuss the history of arpilleras, while leading participants through the making of an arpillera doll.

We will issue an email in advance of the workshop with a link to join the session.

List of materials:

  • Fabric or felt scraps
  • Tights (Any colour will do, but they will become the skin of the doll, so a human skin tone colour is best. But we like green and purple people, too!)
  • Cotton balls or cotton wool
  • Needle/thread
  • Scissors
  • Yarn/embroidery thread

If you're interested in coming along, but don't have all of these materials, please come anyway; bring what you can and in the session we can brainstorm about alternatives.

Bookings for this event are now closed.