Brenda Dayne of Cast On Podcast
Second of two parts of interview with Brenda Dayne about her Podcast
Brenda Dayne discusses with us her muses and getting funding for her podcast in part II of this interview.
Here is the second part of the interview with Brenda Dayne.
Q: You're currently doing a series of podcasts on the muses and knitting. What is the muse that you most identify with, and what does she say to you? How does she influence your knitting?
Clio, the muse of History is the one who speaks to me the most. It's the ordinariness of people's lives, and how knitting found a place in the past that fascinates me most. I am really drawn to vintage knitting patterns, especially those that were published right after World War 2. In Britain there was still rationing after the war, and well into the 1950's, so women had to knit, as it was one of the cheapest, easiest ways to clothe oneself and one's family. But there were still shortages, so the patterns were tremendously inventive. They used color and stitch to get the most out of what little they had. I love the creative ways they went about fashioning the things they needed in their lives, the lengths to which they went to make what they could from small amounts of yarn. In contrast, today we are blessed with an extraordinary abundance of materials from which to choose. Clio helps me keep those choices in perspective, and she reminds me not to take them for granted.
Q: You've taken the next step of podcasting, and that is getting funding for your podcast. What does getting arts funding from the Arts Council of Wales mean for your show, and where you're going to go with it?
The way funding works with the Arts Council is that grants are awarded for specific projects, those that are over and beyond what you consider your "usual" practice". My project is Series Three of Cast On. Since my usual practice involves podcasting from my home, the grant for this next series will allow me to move beyond the confines of my home studio, to explore the textile heritage of Wales. The theme for Series Three is "A Sense of Place," and I'll be examining how landscape and locality have played a part in, and continue to influence the practice of textile craft in Wales.
I'll be starting the series in Cumbria, which is outside Wales, actually, in the northwest corner of England, at Britain's only fiber festival, Woolfest. There I'll be speaking with Welsh designers and manufacturers, and sharing those interviews, as well as the sights and sounds of the show. I'll also be taking part in some workshops, and will be able to record those and share them as well. The rest of the series will feature sound-seeing (as opposed to sight-seeing) tours exploring the textile legacy of Wales. I'll be visiting the Wool Museum, as part of a tour of the last few mills still in operation in Wales, visiting the last water-wheel driven mill in Wales. Also the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan's, where I'll be speaking with the curator of costume, and looking at some Welsh knitting. Of course there will still be music, and Today's Sweater, and the occasional visit from Ed and Ethel. I'll still talk about myself for an hour every week. I'll just be doing it outside now.
Thank you very much to Brenda for answering my questions. I know I certainly can't wait to hear the upcoming season.
© Kelly Gilliam, all words and text. All rights reserved.
