Textile Trajectories: How can textile making enhance the employability of homeless and vulnerably housed residents?

This paper discusses how textile community activities can enhance the employability of homeless and vulnerably housed residents as well as their mental health and wellbeing. The author uses the Londonbased ‘Home and Belonging’ textile programme as an action research case study to explore new methods for design engagement activities. As part of the two-year project a group of homeless and vulnerably housed residents took part in a number of bespoke textile and art workshops to support their personal development. The author initiated a new textile / arts programme in collaboration with the Crisis Skylight Centre in the London borough of Brent, based in Harlesden, one of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) most economically deprived areas. The project included 35 Crisis members who have been affected by homelessness over the past two years. Participants reflected on their personal journeys of belonging and responded to the diverse findings through textile making. All participants are local residents who took part in a series of textile workshops between Spring 2017 – Summer 2018 developing a collection of T-Shirts and bags, upcycled tapestry designs, and embroidery badges as well as textile animations. The communal making activities were mapped through data collection, which demonstrates the increased self-esteem of the participants, leading to enhanced team working and communication skills, as well as creative and employability skills. The paper analyses the specific benefits of communal making and reviews existing methods. The author’s conclusion is to recommend the value of creative activities as part of life-long adult learning in order to develop transferrable professional and specific textile skills as well as increasing the well-being of inner-city communities.

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