Journal article 18 views 1 download
Creative interdisciplinary geographies in practice: Stitching sphagnum moss
Laura Pottinger 
,
Anke Bernau,
Abigail Bleach,
Amanda Cobbett,
Khushi Dodhia,
Abbi Flint,
Aurora Fredriksen ,
Antony Hall,
Ingrid Hanson,
Oliver TW Hughes ,
Sophy King,
Natalie Linney,
D Henry James McPherson ,
Kayley Pearson,
JOSEPH PICKARD,
Jonathan Ritson,
Emma Shuttleworth,
Arianna Tozzi,
Rachel E Webster
,
Anke Bernau,
Abigail Bleach,
Amanda Cobbett,
Khushi Dodhia,
Abbi Flint,
Aurora Fredriksen ,
Antony Hall,
Ingrid Hanson,
Oliver TW Hughes ,
Sophy King,
Natalie Linney,
D Henry James McPherson ,
Kayley Pearson,
JOSEPH PICKARD,
Jonathan Ritson,
Emma Shuttleworth,
Arianna Tozzi,
Rachel E Webster
Cultural Geographies
Swansea University Author: JOSEPH PICKARD
-
PDF | Version of Record
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Download (3.75MB)
DOI (Published version): 10.1177/14744740251358283
Abstract
How might we get to know moss on more intimate terms? This paper outlines a creative stitching workshop as a method for facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and for encouraging slowly paced, tactile ways of noticing and getting to know plants – in this case, sphagnum mosses. We reflect on Mo...
| Published in: | Cultural Geographies |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1474-4740 1477-0881 |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2025
|
| Online Access: |
Check full text
|
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa72030 |
| Abstract: |
How might we get to know moss on more intimate terms? This paper outlines a creative stitching workshop as a method for facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and for encouraging slowly paced, tactile ways of noticing and getting to know plants – in this case, sphagnum mosses. We reflect on MossWorlds, a project bringing together artists and academics from a variety of disciplines in the social and physical sciences and humanities. Via a series of experimental and playful interventions, the project investigates the historical, contemporary and future importance of mosses in Greater Manchester. Our ‘Moss Stitch’ workshop, held in the University of Manchester’s geography laboratories, invited participants to get to know (sphagnum) moss more intimately by stitching it. This task required focused attention and tactile engagement with mosses and materials, opening a space for knowing mosses otherwise. Drawing together reflections from workshop participants we consider what it means to carry out creative, cultural geographic practice in geography laboratories – spaces traditionally reserved for physical geographers and the ‘hard’ environmental sciences. We ask how performing soft forms of textile making might subvert these spaces and norms. |
|---|---|
| Keywords: |
creative methods, interdisciplinary, moss, textiles, vegetal geographies |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
The MossWorlds project was supported by the University of Manchester Research Institute (UMRI) award (UMRI-34501). |