Caring Craftivists

About Caring Craftivists

Can craft tell the untold stories of carers? Welcome to Caring Craftivists the podcast where craftivism and caring intertwine to create powerful stories of resilience, advocacy, and hope. Hosted by Vanessa, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Brighton, and Katy, an unpaid carer and founder of the We Care Campaign, this podcast stitches together carers' experiences who use craft as a tool for change. In 2023, we invited unpaid carers from across Wales to embroider their experiences of caring onto a yellow duster. These dusters were presented to MPs at the Welsh Parliament, calling for improved rights. Caring Craftivists is our shared story. Each episode uncovers the stories behind the stitches, introducing you to carers who have transformed simple dusters into works of activism, amplifying their voices and making their invisible labour visible. From powerful messages displayed in the Senedd to personal tales of strength and struggle, we explore how creativity can spark conversations, challenge perceptions, and inspire

Publisher

Domestic Dusters & We Care

Category

health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Jun 2025

Latest episode

6 Jul 2025

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Jul 2025

   Textile art and unpaid care, with Cas Holmes

   Artist Cas Holmes discusses her textile art, which repurposes old dusters to symbolize resilience and the emotional labor of unpaid carers, reflecting on community and craftivism in an interview.

2. 

   5 Jul 2025

   Caring for loved ones, with unpaid carer Yvonne

   Yvonne, an unpaid carer, recounts her 20-year journey caring for her partner with MS, highlighting daily challenges and emotional burdens, in this interview episode.

3. 

   30 Jun 2025

   Stitching the invisibility of unpaid care, with Emily Parkyn

   Unpaid carer EMILY PARKYN shares her experiences caring for her daughter with chronic fatigue syndrome and how craftivism empowers her to advocate for carers' rights in an interview.

4. 

   30 Jun 2025

   Caring for Mother, with unpaid carer Brian

   Unpaid carer Brian shares his heartfelt experiences caring for his mother in Wales, highlighting the challenges and emotional impact of unpaid caregiving in an interview.

5. 

   30 Jun 2025

   Kinship caring and stitching with Bobbie-Jo Haarhoff

   Unpaid carer Bobbie-Jo Haarhoff discusses her experiences and advocacy for kinship carers, highlighting the Domestic Dusters Project and the power of craftivism to amplify marginalized voices in this interview.

6. 

   23 Jun 2025

   Activist stitching, with Ceri Higgins

   Unpaid carer Ceri Higgins discusses her experience embroidering a duster for the We Care campaign to express her emotions and advocate for policy changes, in this interview episode.

7. 

   23 Jun 2025

   Unpaid carers need better support, with Laura Collins

   Unpaid carer Laura Collins discusses her experiences caring for her adult children and her involvement in the Domestic Dusters project, which uses art to advocate for systemic change and better support for carers in this interview.

8. 

   23 Jun 2025

   The politics of unpaid care, with Sarah Rees, Katy Styles, and Vanessa Marr

   Sarah Rees of Oxfam Cymru discusses with Vanessa Marr and Katy Styles the Caring Craftivists Project, highlighting how craftivism amplifies the voices of unpaid carers and sparks policy discussions in Welsh Parliament in this interview.

9. 

   16 Jun 2025

   The power of an embroidered duster, with Domestic Dusters founder Vanessa Marr

   Vanessa Marr and Katy Styles explore the Caring Craftivist project, highlighting how embroidered dusters empower unpaid carers to share their experiences and advocate for improved rights in this interview.

10. 

    16 Jun 2025

    Find yourself through stitching, with unpaid carer Clare

    Unpaid carer Clare discusses with Vanessa Marr and Katy Styles how stitching empowers her to express feelings and advocate for herself, highlighting craftivism's transformative power in this interview.

11. 

    8 Jun 2025

    Displaying dusters at the Senedd: A community partnership, with Katy Styles and Vanessa Marr

    Hosts Vanessa Marr and Katy Styles discuss their Caring Craftivists campaign, highlighting how they empowered unpaid carers to share their experiences through embroidered dusters displayed at the Welsh Parliament in this interview episode.

Who has been a guest on Caring Craftivists

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Cas Holmes
• Yvonne
• EMILY PARKYN
• Brian
• Bobbie-Jo Haarhoff

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Caring Craftivists

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.