Brainstorming with Paula Rafferty

The brainstorming workshop led by Paula Rafferty took place on 9 November 2023 in the UL City Campus. Paula Rafferty is a renowned Quilter and Textile Artist and a fabulous teacher.

We worked in groups and we kept on rotating in order to generate as many ideas as possible. Three topics were put to discussion:

• Lace-inspired souvenirs
• Installations in public spaces
• Collaborations with artists.

A 4-th one, tools for lacemakers, was added during the discussions.

In the second part, we presented and discussed the ideas generated in the four categories. We also discussed priorities, resources needed and responsibilities.

Here are some of the ideas generated in the four categories:

1. Small lace-inspired objects (souvenirs): coasters (engraved perspex), Christmas baubles, mixed media images reusing lace, postcards, wedding invitations
2. Collaborations with artists: artist in school programme to create Limerick lace- inspired objects, running art workshops for children in the Hunt Museum, creating a Limerick-wide walking tour (audio), collaborating with a stone mason to create lace pattern imprinted bricks, collaborating with a blacksmith to create lace-inspired benches or seats in public places.
3. Lace-inspired installations: a lacemaker’s statue, placed in the Colbert Station or in the garden of the Hunt Museum, a statue placed in the Shannon (Limerick, you’re my lady), collaborating with NeSpoon in creating a mural, big screen showing slides of individual pieces of lace placed in the Limerick Museum, shopping centres, public places, city-wide light show- Christmas in lace, stencils for spray painting- foot path, walls, boxes, huge lace light shades on the streets
4. Tools for lacemakers: perspex stencils for reproducing traditional patterns, perspex frames for demonstrating traditional stitches, books of patterns, sheets of lace patterns sold individually, lace patterns as kits in collaboration with artists.

This lists is not exhaustive and is meant to shed a light on the type of explorations that took place.

This project is funded by Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council through Creative Ireland Made in Limerick.