Over the past few months, residents in the UK would have had the chance to spot more than 70 “flocks” of UK crafters that have been gathering across the nation as a way to encourage politicians to react more aggressively to the climate crisis.
The participants in this project, which was organized by the Craftivist Collective, have been stitching hundreds of small, crafted yellow canaries to send to MPs in the time leading up to the COP26 climate summit.
“These beautiful, small, and sensitive birds fly to where there is clean air,” says Craftivist Collective founder Sarah Corbett.
“Their color encourages hope, and they used to help [down the mines] as early warning systems to detect toxic gasses, saving the lives of many coal miners. In the same way, we hope our sensitive and kind craftivists can encourage the UK government to move in the direction of creating a cleaner and greener world.”
The group hopes that the project will allow more quiet, crafty individuals who may not feel comfortable engaging in more traditional or louder forms of activism to support climate activism in a gentle and positive way. Their strategy involves dressing up as canaries and gathering in small flocks of friends and families by recognizable landmarks and sending handmade canary gifts to MPs.
Image Source: Craftivist Collective/Liz Seabrook
