Marks of Belonging: Cyanotype & Stitch Textile Art
A community craft project that blends the historic cyanotype process with embroidery and storytelling. Through free, accessible workshops, participants create cyanotype botanical prints, then embellish them with embroidery to reflect personal feelings of belonging and place.
Marks of Belonging is a community craft project combining the historic cyanotype printing process (dating back to 1842) with hand-stitching and storytelling. Through free, accessible workshops, participants will use sunlight, natural botanicals, and fabric to create blue-toned cyanotype panels, which they will then embellish with embroidery to reflect personal and collective stories of belonging and place.
Led by local print and textile artists, the programme includes cyanotype printmaking and stitch-making workshops, alongside free drop-in sessions at Printworks and Thread Festival, taking place at Farnham Maltings. Additional sessions will take place at Heath End School and Farnborough College, and craft partner venues in Farnham, as well as targeted workshops for individuals experiencing mental or physical health challenges.
The project will culminate in a large-scale collaborative textile installation displayed at Farnham Maltings during Farnham October Craft Month 2026 and the 30th Anniversary of the Festival of Craft, celebrating Farnham as a World Craft Town.
Free and open to all, the project promotes inclusion, intergenerational exchange, wellbeing, and the preservation of heritage craft skills, using creativity to strengthen community connection and pride.
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“Craft brings people together, supports wellbeing, and offers a welcome chance to slow down and enjoy the moment. It helps build strong community connections, especially when people are feeling isolated or going through change. Working on a shared project gives people something positive to look forward to, helping ease loneliness and create a warm sense of belonging."Jo Connolly, Head of Craft Farnham Maltings