Reflecting on the Community Crochet Project
(and the opportunities of community collaborative artmaking)
The Community Crochet Project is a socially engaged art project that took three years to realise, from conception to delivery. From January to June 2026, the project expanded across multiple sites within the Frankston municipality. Relying on donated yarn, volunteer labour, and third spaces, the project fostered participation, connection, and community. While 150 blankets were created, the project's most significant outcome was demonstrating how communities respond to opportunities for purpose, belonging, and comradeship.
On Thursday 16 July, Jade Lees-Pavey will discuss the development of the Community Crochet Project, reflecting on the opportunities and challenges of socially engaged practice, community-led making, and collaborative artmaking.16th July
Jade Lees-Pavey is a multidisciplinary artist working across sculpture, photography, and mixed media. She lives and works on the Mornington Peninsula (the unceded lands of the Boonwurrung), south-east of Melbourne.