This year’s International Women’s Day is just a couple of week’s away, on Saturday 8 March. The 2025 theme is #AccelerateAction for gender equality. Depressingly, stats show that at the current rate of progress, it would take until 2158 to reach full gender parity, so it is vital we urgently act to advance the situations of women globally, not just on one day each year, but on 365 days a year.

To coincide with IWD25 in Croydon, the Council Culture team have put together a programme not just for a day but for a month, to shine a light on women. Four inspirational female artists – Holly Searle, Carolina Rieckhof, Kinsi Abdulleh and Aziza Kadyri – will be leading creative workshops over four weeks, from Friday 28 February to Saturday 29 March, where participants can try crafts that originate from different corners of the globe.

Holly Searle is an award-winning British textile artist, better known as The Subversive Stitcher. Holly’s workshops kick off the IWD programme. She has been commissioned to create a new art piece called The Wendy Project. In her workshops, participants will be able to explore feminist issues and embrace their creativity by sewing their own subverted Tea Towels with bold statements to highlight IWD. Holly will then turn the hundred-or-so tea towels designed by women across Croydon into a ‘Wendy House’ installation which will be exhibited from 10 March in the Riesco Gallery, Museum of Croydon.

Holly says of the commission: ‘The idea came to me one day when I was wondering why a Wendy House is called a Wendy House. I found out that in J.M.Barrie’s Peter Pan, the Lost Boys construct a house around Wendy when she is injured, giving her a safe space to recover in. I thought I would echo that sentiment in this project, but this time get women to create the materials from which to build it. The envisaged final design is a safe space for women in their own words.’

If you miss Holly’s workshops there is also a chance to see an exhibition of her Subverted Tea Towel series in the Braithwaite Hall, on Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March, 10am – 5pm.

Workshop times: 
Friday 28 February: Sip and Sew 5pm – 8.30pm, Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower. Tickets £15 
Ticket price includes the option of wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and light nibbles. 
Saturday 1 March: Lunch and Sew 10.30am – 3.30pm, Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower. Tickets £25 
Ticket price includes pastries and hot drinks on arrival and a light lunch with wine, beer or soft drinks. 
Advanced booking required. 

Carolina Rieckhof is a Peruvian sculptor and costume designer. Carolina will be hosting two workshops exploring the symbolic language of the Pollera, a traditional Andean skirt. Participants will be able to learn about the significance behind the Pollera’s decorative motifs and how to read its patterns, before creating their own paper Pollera.

Workshop times: 
Saturday 15 March, 10.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 4.30pm (drop-in), Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower 
Tickets £10 – ticket covers one adult and up to three children under the age of 14 for those who want to take part as a family.

Kinsi Abdulleh is an East-London-based interdisciplinary artist, curator, and educator focused on amplifying underrepresented voices, particularly within Somali and African diasporic communities.

Kinsi will be leading two African textile workshops centred around the use of traditional natural dyes such as indigo, Sibaaq, cola nut, and hibiscus. Utilising the techniques discussed, participants will be able to create their own piece of textile art. In the evening workshop there will be a pause for Iftar for those who observe Ramadan, and there will be food provided by Croydon Muslim Association.

Workshop times: 
Saturday 22 March, 10am – 12pm (drop-in), Croydon Clocktower Atrium 
Saturday 22 March, 5pm – 8pm, Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower 
Free but the evening session needs to be booked for catering purposes. 

Aziza Kadyri is a London-based Uzbek multidisciplinary artist whose practice is centred around textiles, sculpture, new technologies, experimental costume and performance practices.

Aziza will be hosting two workshops which explore an ancient lucky charm from Central Asia called the Tumar. Workshop participants will be able to create their own modern-day Tumar, influenced by tradition and personal culture.

Workshop times: 
Saturday 29 March, 11am -1pm (drop-in) & 2pm – 4pm, Croydon Clocktower Atrium 
Free 

Find out more about the workshops and book tickets on the Culture Croydon website here. 

Follow the four artists on Instagram: Holly Searle, Carolina Rieckhof, Kinsi Abdulleh and Aziza Kadyri.

Images courtesy of Croydon Council’s Culture Team. Holly Searle photos by Chris O’Donovan, Carolina Rieckhof photos by Niamh Elain; Kinsi Abdulleh photos by Nadine Stijns (left) and Farouk Ebaiss (right).

Posted by Julia