Crafting with Slowness and Care in Response to the Anthropocene

Abstract

In the era of the Anthropocene, characterized by humans’ impact on the environment, there is ever-more need to address environmental challenges with thoughtful and care-full responses. This research proposes an ecopedagogical shift from arts to craft education, grounded in Slow Craft principles, countering fast-paced consumerism and the resulting environmental degradation. Ecopedagogy aims to decenter human experience and prioritize more-than-human life, integrating critical pedagogy, environmental education, and arts education for societal transformation (Bertling, 2023). This thesis advocates for incorporating Slow Craft principles within ecopedagogy, emphasizing care as a form of stewardship, linking craft practices to environmental responsibility. This research explores Slow Craft’s potential within ecocentric discourse and practices through craft-based experiments informed by ecopedagogy, such as making natural dyes and hand quilting. By adopting a research-creation methodology, photography and fieldnotes from the craft-based experiments are assembled into a visual essay. Amidst the complexities of the Anthropocene, this research unveils Slow Craft as a mindful and sustainable approach within the ecopedagogical framework.