The design of the HADES Women in Prison Blanket design was brought to life when we worked with the charity to run a workshop at HMS Styal in Cheshire, England. We wanted to take the opportunity to give you some insight into the workshop and process!
The 15 women who took part in the workshop created their designs based on the topics of:
- ‘Public Protest’ – designing knitwear that acts as a public protest for the changes they’d like to see in wider society and within the prison system; with key topics including dignity, structural inequalities, oppressive systems and education.
- 'Postcard to the People’ – designing knitwear that acts as a postcard to the public about the treatment the women have received in the community and prison.
A poem written by one of the attendees, which is featured on the blanket.
The women's designs were collated to create one statement blanket, using traditional techniques from 100% lambswool. The blanket includes rendered text from a poem written by one of the workshop's participants. Alongside hand drawn eyes created by another, eyes were a recurring motif expressed by the group.
"Taking part in the workshop with the team from HADES was empowering. It gave us a chance to be creative and express ourselves in a way that felt real and meaningful. For most of us, it was the first time we had the space to design something and see our ideas come to life," commented one participant.
"It's like a piece of all of us who were there that day, is out in the world. I hope that people will not just see the design but will see our strengths too. It's a reminder that we are capable of more than what people might see on the surface or read in the papers about us," said another attendee.
A poem and drawing created at the workshop.
A poem and drawing created at the workshop.
It was an honour for us to meet and work alongside the Women in Prison team and the 15 women taking part in the workshop. 100% of the profits from every sale will support the work the charity does. You can also donate directly, leave a gift in your will or amplify their cause here: womeninprison.org.uk/support-women-in-prison
Finally, we wanted to share one attendee's reflection – when asked "what do you want people to know about your experience in prison from seeing the design?" she responded, "I want people to know that behind these walls, there are women who are looking for opportunities to turn their lives around, to learn and to be more than the labels that have been put on us."
