October 24, 2023

Sarah P Corbett

Crafting Change: The Art of Gentle Protest and Transformative Action

Key Points About Our Chat

• Introduction to Craftivism: Sarah Corbett explains that craftivism is activism through handicraft, such as hand embroidery and paper craft. It involves using the process of crafting to encourage mindfulness, critical thinking, and emotional management in addressing social justice issues.

• Origin of Craftivism: Sarah's journey into craftivism started as a way to address burnout and doubts in traditional activism. She discovered the power of crafting to help her confront uncomfortable questions and developed the idea of gentle protest.

• Gentle Protest Philosophy: Sarah's approach to activism centers around gentleness, maturity, humility, and empathy. She emphasizes that gentle protest doesn't replace other forms of activism but complements them by focusing on positive change and fostering respectful relationships with power holders.

• Impact of Craftivism: Craftivism allows people to express their concerns and engage in conversations about injustice in a non-confrontational way. Sarah shares examples of campaigns that have influenced positive change and promoted understanding, even among diverse political ideologies.

• Being a Unique Jigsaw Piece: Sarah encourages individuals to see themselves as unique jigsaw pieces in the world. Each person has a role to play in addressing social issues, but they should find where they can contribute most effectively and align with their values.

“Because its so messy it forces me to be grounded in my god and in my spiritual self.”

Meet Sarah 

An award-winning activist, author and Ashoka Fellow. Born 1983 into an activist family in Everton: fourth most deprived ward in the UK. A professional campaigner most recently with Oxfam GB. Corbett founded Craftivist Collective (2009) to help people deliver what she coined ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics. Her pioneering work has helped change hearts, minds, policies and laws around the world. Corbett works with charities, museums, galleries and media to reach new nervous audiences to activism. Co-creator of the Girlguiding Craftivism badge (2018), she has exhibited in Stockholm (2015), Helsinki Design Week (2016). Her talk ‘Activism Needs Activists’ was chosen as a TED Talk Of The Day.

LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter