Making History | Home Start Angus Workshops

Home-Start Angus Workshops | A Diary of Making and Memories

I developed a series of workshops for the Home-Start Angus Monday Group, to make ‘Roots and Crowns’ books with the participants. These handmade and personalised books will reflect the individuals record of their unique family trees and can be used to explore and record positive memories and experiences as parents and carers as well as commemorating loss.

Staff and Volunteers, Home-Start Angus Participants:

Anika, Amy, Beth, Carla, Drew, Kat, Lynn, Meghan, Meredith, Michelle, Misha, Mya, Rachel, Rachel D, Shona, Steph, Tina and Tracey.

Initial Visit: 10.06.24

Connection | Reflecting relationships, heritage, and shared experiences

I was warmly welcomed into the group by Shona Arbuckle, Family Support Group Co-ordinator and introduced myself and Tina Aburrow from Arbroath 2021 to the group, explaining the idea of creating a personal book over the six weeks I would be visiting. I brought a mock-up of the long stitch book structure to share, and we talked about the ways these books might be used; to keep treasured memories, baby tags, write notes on private reflections on the journey of parenting, the highs and lows, the joys and the challenges.

Because the group members are caring for young children (aged 0–4 years), I set up a table with materials so they could join in when they were able. There was a real sense of enjoyment in choosing from the vibrant array of pleather for the covers – a chance to express personal taste and identity. I took time with each participant, getting to know them, helping them choose linen threads to match their covers and coordinating buttons – small, thoughtful decisions that made each book unique.

What struck me immediately was the strength, resilience, and creativity of these young parents. Despite the weight of responsibility and often complex personal situations, there was joy in making, pride in their creations, and a hunger to do more. Over the coming weeks a few would talk of future ambitions – one already running a small creative business, another dreaming of becoming a tattoo artist, another wanting to apply to college, others simply relishing the opportunity to create something with their hands.

Week 2: 19.08.24

Growth | Symbolizing development, creativity, and learning together

This week’s creative activity was inspired by a small but beautiful detail—a painted outline of an oak leaf on a piece of glass from the Arbroath Abbey Museum. It sparked the theme of “growth” for our session, representing how we develop, create, and learn as a community.

A lovely group of parents and carers came together today to take part. Everyone enjoyed using foam boards to print their own flower and leaf design. I brought along some dried leaves I had collected from the Abbey to help inspire the designs, but it turned out that everyone already had a clear idea of what they wanted to create. Some of the children also joined in the fun!

By the end of the session, each person had created a beautiful, printed card. These cards will be included in the special book, with space to write messages for the children to read when they turn 18, precious memories captured for the future.

Week 3: 02.09.24

Growth + Nature | Symbolizing development, creativity, and learning together. Emphasizing the botanical elements like flowers, leaves, and roots

We continued to make foam board prints, some new members of the group arriving today and so I also selected with them their covers, threads and buttons.

Discovery | Encouraging exploration through materials and techniques

We started this week with group members who had already done the printing to fold up the papers I had brought along, trimming and rounding corners, folding paper into signatures. This activity was communal, folding papers for the group, as I would be splitting up all the paper folded into sets for each book for binding later. I always find paper folding quite meditative, several people stayed longer to fold and cut more – making gives this space sometimes, to talk while engaged in making gives a freedom and space to difficult conversations. Making should be prescribed more and Shona and I started to talk about whether a book binding activity pack was something that every Home-Start group could have for new members, a way to settle into a space and to feel safe.

Week 4: 09.09.24

Discovery | Encouraging exploration through materials and techniques

Folding paper into signatures, this week we completed folding all the paper and made up into signatures. Depending on paper thickness, each signature was made up into several pages.

Week 5: 16.09.24

Expression | Highlighting creativity through colour, printing, watercolour pens

Having had a practical session in the previous workshop this week it was about pattern making, using watercolour pens which have a brush nib we all started exploring nature pattern making with some interesting results. The painting technique was inspired by a flower head I had found with graded colours across its surface, like a watercolour – some lovely patterns worked out and although a quieter week it was great to have had such brilliant engagement and concentration as people worked out how the materials worked.

Week 6: 14.10.24

Story | Tying everything together in a meaningful, personal book form

The last session we looked at embroidery patterns, I collected from the group members a list of words that to them reflected the meaning of the group to them and we attempted to make cross-stitch patterns up of some of the words.

Week 7 +:

Story | Tying everything together in a meaningful, personal book form

Due to some challenging personal circumstances of my own and others involved it took longer to develop and sew together the books but they are now complete ready to be returned to the participants once shown in the Arbroath Signal Tower Museum.

All to be revealed soon!

The conversations we had over the workshop series were powerful; about motherhood, care, being a grandmother raising children again, future plans, education, and identity. These were serious and sometimes difficult topics, but they were shared with honesty, humour, and solidarity. Amidst it all, the act of making – of doing something for themselves – felt empowering.

It is a privilege to be welcomed into such a safe, supportive space. The work that Home-Start and the group’s staff and volunteers do is clearly vital, offering care and connection that is both needed and valued – so much so that there’s a waiting list to join. These young parents, often underestimated, show remarkable strength every day. Their creativity, openness, and willingness to engage made this first session both joyful and deeply meaningful.

The very purpose of what my exhibition ‘Roots + Crowns’ is going to celebrate.