Sampad returned this January to the Dolphin Women’s Centre, for another busy term of Create and Change. We’re excited to welcome our talented artist for the new term Samantha McEwan, also known as Krankpod Workshops. Samantha is leading our ‘Slow Crafts’ project, with a beautiful range of creative workshops and activities.
A ceramics and mixed media artist, Samantha specialises in arts, design and craft workshops for children, adults and families. She often works with people considered to be vulnerable or marginalised and has a varied toolbox of craft approaches and techniques.
Led by materials and gentle crafting, Samantha will be facilitating conversations on diverse themes of storytelling, home remedies, hair care, wellbeing and more.
“I’m looking forward to talking about self esteem in a broader sense, as it relates to women of colour. I think it could be a wonderful opportunity to gently question the current mainstream value system, which can be impactful on emotional wellness. To celebrate the differences that make us unique.”
Following on from her first sessions at the centre, we caught up with Samantha to hear more about her experiences so far.
“We have a beautiful space in the cafe with a wonderfully calming backdrop of the lake and its inhabitants. One of my aims for the group is to support a creative bond through visual and verbal interaction. The materials and techniques used are varied, enabling them to experience different art forms and attain new skills.
I think the most interesting workshop so far has been pottery. You can really find out a lot about a person in the way they interact with clay. Its tactile nature allows for creative expression and development of ideas in real time. I think the reason I love clay as a material is its contradicting sensory value and the scope of learning it provides. The fact that it can go from liquid, to solid, to dry, fragile, survive immense heat, become strong but vulnerable always fascinates me.“
Having first started in 2017, Create and Change provides a safe, empowering space for women, particularly those from South Asian backgrounds in Birmingham, to focus on mental health and self-expression through artistic exploration. We’re so delighted to have Samantha on the team and look forward to following the group’s creative journey.