Sarah P Corbett: Craftivism - the art of gentle protest.

Since founding the Craftivist Collective in 2009, award-winning activist and author Sarah P Corbett’s pioneering work has directly helped change hearts, minds, policies and laws.

Sarah has given talks, and led workshops and happenings around the world. She was included in the Crafts Council 2018 ‘Power List’ and her TEDx speech ‘Activism Needs Introverts’ was chosen as a TED Talk Of The Day with over a 1.2million views so far.

Now Sarah is coming to the Hastings Book Festival to talk about some of her projects and her different approach to activism, which focuses on creating handmade gifts  for politicians, business leaders or other decision-makers - an approach she has used on several successful campaigns.

Craftivism is for everyone - not just crafters but activists, introverts, and anyone who wants to challenge injustice in the world.

Sarah’s book, The Craftivist Collective Handbook.  was published in May,

Sarah will be interviewed by Mary Jane Baxter - A producer with BBC Kent, a former BBC Brussels Correspondent and a crafter with several published books to her name.

Della Reynolds, author and editor of 'What's the Point of the Ombudsman'  and local performing poet poetinpjs.com will be opening for Sarah and our super Saturday. 

This session will last approximately one hour. 

A Super Saturday ticket is available for this event - the special ticket gives reduced price entry to all festival events on Saturday 21st Sept as well as a 20% discont on food and drink in THe Observer Cafe throughout the day.  

"I'm a massive fan of Corbett's strategic, thoughtful and powerful craftivism and ‘gentle protest’ approach. It's discerning, disarming, an antidote to so much out there and most importantly - it works!"  - Helen Pankhurst, Senior Advisor of CARE International working in the UK and Ethiopia and the granddaughter of Slyvia and great granddaughter of Emmeline suffrage activists 

"Everyone involved in craft can see how powerful it can be as a force for positive change. Sarah's approach of using craft as a gentle form of protest brilliantly harnesses this power to give a voice to people from all backgrounds and levels of experience."  - Jay Blades MBE, BBC Repair Shop and Heritage Crafts Co-Chair

More about Sarah: 

Sarah Corbett is an award-winning activist, author and Ashoka Fellow. She was born into an activist family in Everton - the fourth most deprived ward in the UK.

She is a professional campaigner most recently with Oxfam GB. She founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009 to engage non-activists and influential target audiences globally to deliver what she coined ‘Gentle Protest’ tactics.

Sarah works with national charities such as Save the Children, Unicef and The Climate Coalition amongst others, creates bespoke events for museums and and galleries such as Tate and V&A as well as collaborates with unusual allies, such as Secret Cinema, to reach new and nervous audiences to activism. WWF used Corbett’s 10-point manifesto to create their own successful craftivism campaign that led to a change in law to protect migrating birds. Corbett co-created the new Girlguiding Craftivism badge (2018), has exhibited in Stockholm (2015), Helsinki Design Week (2016) and Designmuseum Denmark. For her services in design activism and public engagement Goldsmiths, University of London granted her an Honorary Fellowship in July 2022. Sarah’s book ‘How To Be A Craftivist: the art of gentle protest’ is now available in paperback and her new project book The Craftivist Collective Handbook was published 2nd May 2024