'Have Your Say' Child Of x Daler-Rowney

I’m Sam D’Cruze, a socially engaged multidisciplinary artist. My practice combines textiles, embroidery, painting, sculpture, and film.

Since the death of my alcohol-dependent father, I have founded a Community Interest Company called Child Of Project, where I open up the conversation around addiction, recovery and creativity and engage in artistic activism.

I recently graduated from the Royal College of Art with a Master of Research in Fine Art & Humanities. During my studies, I answered an open call and was selected to create a public participation event.

‘Have Your Say’ was a collaborative textile art piece mirroring the voice of our time, hand-decorated over two days at the Great Exhibition Road Festival. Daler-Rowney generously sponsored this event with equipment and supplies.

We encouraged the general public of all ages to get something off their chest by creating a piece of textile art with a message.

When asked, “What you are passionate about?” and “What makes you angry?” some people knew immediately, while others stared blankly.

Each person received two worksheets, one to inspire ideas of what they are most passionate about and the second to help map out their design.

Once they had an idea, they could choose between a fabric square to contribute to the patchworked banner or a wooden disc to make a rosette.

Despite the challenges we all now face, the overall message from the art was one of love, hope, and a call for peace, instilling a sense of hope in the audience. The younger participants expressed their rightful concern about the environment, a reminder that they will inherit the world we leave behind.

We chose a palette of bright orange, pink, blue, green, black and white, and Daler-Rowney generously supplied ‘System3’ paint for the visitors to paint their slogans onto fabric squares. We couldn’t believe how a little paint went such a long way, and the vibrant colours were perfect for a fun two days of artistic activism.

On Sunday, when the banners were complete, we proudly marched down Exhibition Road. Children came to spot their artwork and take pictures.

Sam D’Cruze