Project Rushnyk, Ukrainian/British embroidery project

I have been approached by Paola who lives in Stamford.  They have an upcoming project that they hope will shortly get funding.  Here is some information about it, and I hope some of you will be interested enough to take part, providing the funding comes through.

Dear Jaqui and Ladies of the Lincoln Stitch Club

 I’m Paola Wigmore, myself and my partner Natalia Yakovleva are based in Stamford and Natalia is a professional film maker, from the Ukraine. We are heading up a new venture - Project Rushnyk. This is a unique film and embroidery enterprise. It’s about creativity, co-operation and progress.

We are currently waiting for a decision on funding from Lincolnshire County Council which will enable to us to fund this programme. A response is expected in early March. In preparation, we are looking to gauge interest and potential participation in this project - hope that some of your ladies may be interested in taking part.

 Here’s some fairly comprehensive information on the project. I want to provide you with as much as I can, so the ladies can think about whether they would like to join us.

What is this project about?

Project Rushnyk is a combined film and community arts project involving British and Ukrainian embroiderers across the whole of Lincolnshire. 

The theme is ‘Ukrainian Integration’ and 'British Support’. This is a bold, ambitious and exciting idea, which we hope will be creative and inspiring as a collaborative endeavour between British women and women from the Ukrainian diaspora. Our aim is to bring our British and Ukrainian communities closer together through mutual interest in the creative art of embroidery.

 What is a Rushnyk?

A Rushnyk is a long embroidered cloth (1.8 - 2 metres long, similar to a table runner). The embroidery has one design which is mirrored at both ends of the cloth.  It has an important historical and symbolic presence in Ukrainian culture and is a fascinating genre of embroidery. From a purely creative perspective, this offers everyone interested in stitching, a wonderful opportunity to learn something about the rich and varied tradition of Ukrainian Vyshevka (embroidery). For more information on the Rushnyk tradition, please have a look a the presentation, below.

 What are we asking you for?

 British Women to participate in Project 'Rushnyk - Kit'  Community Arts 

 We are looking for British and Ukrainian embroiderers from each part of Lincolnshire to take part in completing a 'Rushnyk Kit’. This is the Community Arts element of the project which will be instrumental in providing collaborative art from British and Ukrainian communities.  The finished ‘mini’ rushnyk kits will be collected and an exhibition will be created to display the positive support and willingness to create alongside women from our Ukrainian communities.  The exhibition will be presented alongside the screening of the documentary (below) and at other relevant community venues.

 These kits will be much smaller versions of the longer Rushnyk, described above.

 Each Rushnyk Kit will be provided free of charge and will come with: 

• Embroidery hoop 
• Cloth with pre-printed original design:  (230gsm / Half Panama / dimensions 27cm x 54cm (whole cloth). The embroidered areas will be approx 13cm x 10cm). This is quite a small area, designed for quick completion and maximum impact.
• Needle and embroidery thread
• Information about the design, stitches (instructions if needed)
• Please note that the finished Rushnyks will belong to 'Project Rushnyk' to be used as an integral part of the campaign.

Additional information:

• Each kit can be completed as the work of an individual embroiderer or in a team of two, one person completing one end! We are very happy to have either. 
• We’d also like a little information about our Stitchers, to make people' real’  - so a little background on each person or as a team of two: where you stitch, age (if ok with that), how long you have been a part of the Stitching group, a response to the project, or any other details you may like to share.
• Below is an example of our designs in progress. Each motif is symbolic. For example, the Oak leaf represents the strength and steadfastness of the male.Its position reflects protection as they surround the life giving elements of the Kalyna plant (berries) and the rose elements, symbolising the female. The smaller flowers represent the children and the future. This is of course very symbolic in the current situation.

 Information about the film (14-20mins)

Based in Stamford, the film will centre around a collaborative effort between Ukrainian and UK women in the making of a full sized Rushnyk (see presentation below). We have 2 local British ladies (Jane and Enid)  weaving the cloth and 6 Ukrainian women and daughters of mixed ages involved in creating the embroidery. The idea is that their stories and experiences, as they relate them through interview and spoken interactions, are 'woven' into the highly symbolic Rushnyk. They will use traditional motifs to illustrate the areas they come from, their journeys and reactions to the war. We will document their responses in the film which is scheduled for completion end of July 2023.

Thank you, for your time and attention. I do hope that some of you will join us on this extraordinary journey.

 Paola and Natalia

Partners for Project Rushnyk:

Lincoln University Faculty of Film, Media and Journalism

Stamford Diversity CIC

Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain

If you are interested either drop Jacqui a line, or speak to her at Kate's stitch day on Saturday 18th Feb.