Pangea: A socially-engaged art project

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Embroidery-based artwork using recycled and natural materials, hosting collaborative workshops on ecology, extraction, and material connections through reflective making and dialogue.

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The idea

Pangea is an evolving, socially engaged artwork that takes the form of an embroidered map of the supercontinent. Oceans are stitched using threads made from recycled plastic, while the land is composed of gemstones, beads and other natural materials – bringing together elements shaped by both geological time and human extraction. The work reflects on the beauty of the earth’s materials and the complex histories of labour, desire and exploitation embedded within them.

Over the coming months, Pangea will open into a collective process. We'll be hosting weekly sewing sessions, inviting participants to contribute directly to the making of the piece. These gatherings are conceived as spaces for slow making and shared reflection, where conversations can emerge around art, ecology, extraction, ecosystems and our relationship to the material world.

What we'll deliver

6 collaborative making sessions, free to attend
A large-scale embroidered artwork
Documentation to extend reach and legacy beyond the workshops

Why it's a great idea

- Creation of a large-scale collaborative artwork reflecting shared stories, with potential for exhibition/public display
- Delivery of free workshops, reducing barriers to participation and widening access to arts and culture
- Development of textile and craft skills using sustainable approaches, encouraging material awareness, reuse, and low-impact making
- Generating critical conversations around ecology, climate responsibility and our impactful relationships to materials
- Strengthening community cohesion through shared making, conversation and peer exchange across diverse groups
- Supporting wellbeing through slow, mindful craft processes that reduce stress and encourage reflection
- Providing a platform for underrepresented voices to share personal narratives in non-verbal ways
- Creating documentation to extend reach and legacy beyond the workshops
- Contributing to Brighton’s local economy by drawing visitors to the Open Market

Steps to get it done

Workshop #1, Friday 5th June, 3pm-5pm
Workshop #2, Friday 12th June, 3pm-5pm
Workshop #3, Friday 19th June, 3pm-5pm
Workshop #4, Friday 26th June, 3pm-5pm
Workshop #5, Friday 3rd June, 3pm-5pm
Workshop #6, Friday 10th June, 3pm-5pm

Location

By Arabel Lebrusan

My name is Arabel Lebrusan and I am a visual artis... Learn More

about us

Updates

1 person liked Pangea: A socially-engaged art project2 months ago

Pangea: A socially-engaged art project verified by Spacehive.2 months ago

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Recent backers

Quiet Down There (arts organisation) - £500
2 months ago

Arabel Lebrusan - £300
2 months ago

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https://www.arabellebrusanart.com/

My name is Arabel Lebrusan and I am a visual artist and creative campaigner.

My artistic practice is concerned with the death of humans and the more-than-humans; the bodies falling through the cracks of the system. I’m affected by the loss of human corps: kids in wars, females to gender violence, adolescents to knife crime, diamond miners to greed… And the loss of ecosystems and bodies of water, too. I find meaning in transforming everyday materials into physical metaphors. From wearable healing rings created from police-confiscated knives to an iron plaque depicting the haunting profile of a woman and her unborn foetus, forged from the same iron ore that killed them both in a mining disaster, my work uses matter that matters to amplify the stories that desperately need to be told.

Growing up, I was deeply connected to my maternal ancestors, women who transformed materials through alchemical processes and rituals – cooking oil into soap and blood into food. These traditions and crafts left a profound impact on me. Now, I often think through objects and processes. I employ sculpture and large site-specific installations, as well as embroidery, goldsmithing and silversmithing, drawing, photography, video, and performance to tell those stories. I often take advantage of domestic objects loaded with significance and meaning, accumulated over years of everyday use. These simple materials scale my ideas down to a relatable scale, creating an intimate dialogue that channels large social, economic and political agency through the lens of familiarity and tactility. I believe we can touch a thought and experience a physical response to an idea.

I feel the superpower of craft is its ability to engage audiences and make complex concepts accessible. My work often draws on tension and trauma, inviting audiences to grieve with different degrees of engagement. Sometimes, it’s a simple crafted object or installation that fosters engagement. Other times, this space for individual and collective narratives is created by social engagement processes that enable me to create collaboratively with others.

Creating art helps me cope with the injustices of this cruel world we live in; to process humanity’s tragic histories of abuse, exploitation, and inequality. I hope it will also help others.

Project Owner: Arabel Lebrusan The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.