Designing Gentle Craftivism: Sarah P Corbett in conversation with Tom Dyckhoff

How to see gentle craftivism through the lens of design-thinking and system change.:
Discussing how the Craftivist Collective's 'Gentle Protest' methodology uses craft is a tool to serve the cause and go beyond just 'awareness raising' and focuses on human-centred design and planet-centred design to try to help change hearts, minds, policies and cultures for social good.
The event was hosted by X+Why at their beautiful Birmingham site in the UK:
The B Corp certified business is a home for social changemakers across the UK. Each site is carbon negative, uses clean energy and has exceptional recycling policies. The members at X+Why are businesses from a huge range of sectors, who are collectively striving to make an impact. This is not just about charity and social enterprises. It’s about responsible business and the theory that you can do good and do well at the same time. X+Why ask every member to sign their pledge for better business. It's non-negotiable if you want to join their community. You don't have to be perfect - but you have to commit to trying harder. They are a brilliant community to join.
Filmed by Velvet Green:
A small but mighty mission-driven media consultancy team. They support charities and non-profits with Video Donations to help them grow their impact.
The Craftivist Collective Handbook (2024)
is available through all good bookshops and libraries worldwide. Signed copies with extra gift are available at www.craftivist-collective.com/shop to be posted anywhere in the world from Sarah's hands to yours :) x
Book Synopsis:
If we want our world to be more beautiful, kind and fair, can we make our activism more beautiful, kind and fair?
‘Gentle Protest’ is a unique methodology of strategic, compassionate and visually intriguing activism using handicrafts as a tool. Since its creation in 2009, the award-winning global Craftivist Collective has helped change laws, policies, hearts and minds around the world as well as expand the view of what activism can be.
Dreams inspire positive action, so stitch a Dream Cloud to hang up at home or work and prompt you to think past a problem to the solution. Sew a Gentle Nudge Label to help keep your conscience sharp and your spirit strong. Craft your own Mini Protest Banner to turn heads and influence change, or fly solidarity’s flag for those suffering as a result of the world’s injustices. Stitch a Handmade Hedgerow to champion one of the solutions to the climate crisis or if you are nervous about protesting in public or if there’s a ban on public rallies where you live, let a doll speak your truth by creating a Toy Protest.
This handbook is for everyone, wherever you are in the world: whether you are a skilled crafter or a burnt-out activist, an introvert, highly sensitive person, or struggling with anxiety or overwhelm. These 20 projects and tools use the slow, soothing and thoughtful process of craft to help channel feelings of sadness, anger or powerlessness into proactive, encouraging effective actions to help make hope possible.
Author bio for Sarah P Corbett:
An award-winning activist, author and Ashoka Fellow. Born into an activist family in Everton: fourth most deprived ward in the UK. A professional campaigner most recently with Oxfam GB. Corbett founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009 to engage non-activists and influential target audiences globally to deliver what she coined ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics. Her pioneering work has directly helped change hearts, minds, policies and laws around the world. Corbett works with national charities such as Save the Children, Unicef and The Climate Coalition amongst others, creates bespoke events for museums and and galleries such as Tate and V&A as well as collaborates with unusual allies such as Secret Cinema to reach new and nervous audiences to activism. WWF used Corbett’s 10-point manifesto to create their own successful craftivism campaign that led to a change in law to protect migrating birds. Corbett co-created the new Girlguiding Craftivism badge (2018), has exhibited in Stockholm (2015), Helsinki Design Week (2016) and Design Museum Denmark (2022-2024). Sarah was included in the Crafts Council 2018 ‘Power List’ and her TEDx speech ‘Activism Needs Introverts’ was chosen as a TED Talk Of The Day with over a 1.2million views so far. For her services in design activism and public engagement Goldsmiths, University of London granted Corbett an Honorary Fellowship in July 2022. Corbett’s book ‘How To Be A Craftivist: the art of gentle protest’ is now available in paperback and her new project book The Craftivist Collective Handbook was published 2024 to complement.