Hands On: The Tatreez Collective and the Arab British Centre

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Led by the Arab British Centre in partnership with the Tatreez Collective, Stitching Forests invites participants from across the UK to contribute to a collaborative artwork celebrating Palestinian embroidery (Tatreez). Participants will attend workshops in museums holding Palestinian collections—including the V&A—and will create embroidered panels based on traditional Cypress tree motifs.

The collected panels will be assembled into three large-scale embroidered “trees,” symbolising community, memory, and resilience. The project also includes a digital campaign to involve wider audiences and raise awareness of Tatreez heritage, culminating in an exhibition and the production of a documentary film.

By connecting UK museum collections with contemporary voices and craft traditions, this project fosters intercultural dialogue, raises awareness of Palestinian heritage, and offers participants a meaningful, creative outlet.

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