Stitch for Change
A community sewing and storytelling group that is inspired by the Chilean arpillera tradition
Stitch for Change is very important to us at The Refugee Buddy Project. It’s a community sewing and storytelling group that is inspired by the Chilean arpillera tradition. Together, refugee and migrant women come together with buddies in a facilitated group to share experiences of displacement and resilience through textile art. The group meets weekly at the Dove Café, in a structured, supportive environment that encourages both creativity, connection and support.
Our wonderful collaborative artworks feature in local exhibitions, including at The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill where they attract hundreds of visitors and spark meaningful conversations across the community. It’s a joy to see participants showcase their powerful work and share their stories from their own perspective with a really engaged local community.
2025 is the fourth year of Stitch for change and this June you can see the work in the De La Warr Pavilion’s Rooftop Foyer and North Staircase. The theme of this year's Refugee Week is 'Community as a Superpower'. So, you'll see displayed a diverse collection of hand-crafted superhero capes which have been documented by local photographer and video maker Fizzel Castro. A soundscape of recorded voices, created by Tom Fryer and Lily Kim, captures the voices of Stitch for Change, while other elements of the installation consider ideas of home, housing, and community. Through the mediums of embroidery, patchwork and sculpture, each of the works carry a powerful message of connection, solidarity and hope by members of the local community.
The Stitch for Change workshops have been designed and facilitated by fashion designer Erin Lewis, working with groups based in Bexhill, Uckfield and Eastbourne. Participants were encouraged to explore their own superpowers and how this has helped them to be part of a support network or community. Several participants were also facing treatment or recovery from serious illness or first-time motherhood, and so these sessions provided both a network and sanctuary for people to relax and share experiences together.
The workshops were also attended by inspirational female artists, who shared their work and gave feedback on the works in progress: Delaine Le Bas, who work explores themes of protest, feminism and Romany identity, and fashion lecturer and textile artist, Lorraine Henry King, who shared her PhD research on the portrayal.
See the De La Warr event page here.
Referrals and volunteering
If you would like to make a referral for a person or to volunteer with the Refugee Buddy Project, do get in touch with us. Please give us as much detail as possible. We are a small team but will endevour to get back to you within 5 working days.
