PHD THESIS
Tal Fitzpatrick completed her PhD with the Centre for Cultural Partnerships, Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at The University of Melbourne. Her PhD thesis 'Craftivism as DIY Citizenship: The Practice of Making Change' was published in 2018. To access Tal' PhD Thesis please follow the link in the button below.
Abstract: As it is currently understood ‘craftivism’ is a term that can be used to describe any activity that incorporates the techniques of craft with the goals of activism. In this thesis, I consider the limitations of this conception and ask whether a more nuanced account of the value of craftivism could be developed by broadening this understanding to include seeing craftivism as a mode of do-it-yourself (DIY) citizenship. Through this repositioning I consider how craftivists can actively perform, test, rehearse and engage in the practice of democracy as part of their everyday lives. I also investigate the different ways that craftivist actions, regardless of their scale or political intent, contribute towards positive social, cultural and political change. I do this by considering how craftivism works to enhance people’s sense of political agency, foster social connection and reveal dissensus.
The key question driving this research is: How does approaching craftivism as a mode of DIY citizenship empower artists and makers to actively engage in the practice of democracy and to materialise social, cultural and political change? To tackle this, I explore what approaching craftivism as a mode of DIY citizenship looks like in practice through seven socially engaged craftivism projects delivered over the course of four years. These include a variety of participatory and collaborative craftivism projects, as well as projects delivered in partnership with community groups and non-profit organisations. These projects vary in scale and political intent, and include interventions in public, private, institutional and online spaces. The material artworks and two self-published books created as part of this research project were exhibited at an exhibition titled ‘Craftivism HQ,’ which was held at Kings Artist-Run in Melbourne (7-10 March 2018).
BOOK CHAPTERS
Tal's academic writing has been included in multiple academic journals and books as listed in her CV, below is a selection of book chapters she has authored alongside some of her collaborators and academic peers.
SELF PUBLISHED WORK
Tal Fitzpatrick has self-published a collection of exhibition catalogues that document some of her key projects, as well as a Craftivism Manifesto/Methodology for those interested in the practice of craftivism.
These self-published works as free downloads via the links below. Physical copies of some of her publications are available via the links below and on: https://www.blurb.com/user/Tal-Fitz
