Fibre Stories Publications Now Available

 A suite of free resources, collectively titled Fibre Stories, is now available to the public to support a deeper understanding of sustainability, responsibility and justice in the textile industry via a new website: FibreStories.ca.

Led by Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship and Material Matters, Fibre Stories includes a book, a podcast and a series of how-to zines that share the knowledge behind the Fibreshed Field School — a community-focused program created by Emily Smith aimed at connecting people more closely with local fibre systems and supply chains and that worked collaboratively with Rebecca Burgess and Fibershed.

Fibre Stories the book, which shares the work of Fibreshed Field School participants and researchers, can be viewed online or can be downloaded as a PDF.

The podcast looks at BC’s local and regional fibresheds and examines the tensions that arise when fibre and cloth are seen through the lens of sustainability and decolonization. Episode one, titled ‘Rethinking Fibre Futures with Rebecca Burgess and Emily Smith’ is now available for streaming, with the next seven episodes to be released in the coming weeks.

The zines, which include ‘How to Coil with Fibres,’ ‘How to Dye with Indigo’ and ‘How to Weave with Cedar,’ can be read via the Fibre Stories website, and are formatted for home printing for those who desire a physical copy.

Fibre Stories materials were gathered and produced by ECU research assistants Chiara Schmitt, Christa Clay, Melanie Camman, Elham Atighi Lorestani and Ash Logan, who were mentored by Hélène Day Fraser, and advised by Emily Smith, Keith Doyle, Kate Armstrong and Cemre Demiralp from January through October, 2021.

Ash Logan, Fibre Stories editor, says the book, zines and podcast offer an introduction not only to Fibreshed as a concept and practice, but to ways of working and living that harness creativity and community to spark meaningful change.

“Something that I learned throughout this journey with Fibre Stories is that there are so many pathways to be involved in Fibreshed and it really feels limitless,” Ash says.

“I think what we really need in the world and in our communities right now is limitless creativity. Problems often feel so big and so far out of our reach, but when we start to imagine a better future in creative and collaborative ways, real change starts to happen. Because none of this work would be possible without working together.”

“Fibreshed Field School brought together students, mentors, faculty, and community in a way that revealed the importance of establishing a local textile industry and the responsibility of artists and designers to work reciprocally with the land, culture, and community,” Hélène Day Fraser, associate professor at ECU and co-director of Material Matters, says. "Fibre Stories publications aim to capture these insights and serve as a repository for future students as well as for the farmers, ranchers, textile producers and makers working on our local fibreshed.”

Browse Fibre Stories, the book

Edited by Ash Logan and Chiara Schmitt

Managing Editors: Emily Smith, Hélène Day Fraser

Assistant Editors: Elham Atighi Lorestani, Melanie Camman, Christa Clay

Listen to 'Rethinking Fibre Futures with Rebecca Burgess and Emily Smith’ on Spotify

Co-Producer & Host: Melanie Camman

Audio Engineer: Bill Batt

Editor: Kyla Hewson

Production Assistant: Elham Atighi Lorestani

Read the Fibre Stories How-to Zines

Written and designed by Ash Logan, Elham Atighi Lorestani, and Christa Clay

Fibre Stories was realized with support from the Accountability Council for Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training as well as the Vancouver Foundation