Traditional arts
Traditional arts
idea
Could the art of ‘sashiko’ help to mend our frayed world?
The Japanese art of ‘sashiko’ celebrates the rough edges of life. Could this be the patchwork solution for our frayed selves?
by Melanie McGrath
Music
idea
Bob Dylan turned American folk traditions into modern prophecy
Bob Dylan’s ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’ is the first truly modernist folk song: it reworks tradition into a prophetic warning
by Timothy Hampton
Meaning and the good life
film
A boatbuilder above the Arctic Circle works hard at his epicurean life
Directed by Vern Cummins & Jamie Gallant
Learning and education
idea
Handcraft lessons belong in a radical school curriculum
Handcraft lessons in school can stitch empathy, sustainability and resilience to the shared knowledge of communal heritage
by Hinda Mandell
Philosophy of art
idea
Archaeology excavates the layers of meaning we leave behind
Archaeologists make sense of the past by thinking about the intentional and the natural meanings of what they uncover
by Marilynn Johnson
Traditional arts
film
A joyously animated myth retells why painting is prayer to India’s Bhil people
A film by Nina Sabnani and Sher Singh Bhil
Dance
idea
Bharathanatyam dance is a living exploration of being human
With its origins in 16th-century India, Bharathanatyam remains hugely popular. Here’s a primer to kickstart your enjoyment
by Lakshmi Thiagarajan
Food and drink
idea
La cucina povera delivers the fare we need to sustain us now
La cucina povera made do with whatever was available in nonna’s kitchen garden, and remains the perfect fare for our times
by Louise Fabiani
Pleasures and pastimes
film
A whimsical ode to the reparative power of knitting, rendered in wool
Directed by Samantha Moore