Weaving textile connections _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Micro Mill is a community activation from Wellingtonian artist and weaver Genevieve Rae that seeks to address the issue of textile waste.

Setting up shop in the show apartment space on the corner of Victoria and Dixon Streets from the 6^th to the 21^st of December, the Urban Dream Brokerage and Wellington City Council activation will offer the public free loom and spinning opportunities using waste textiles.

People are encouraged to come by and contribute to the community tapestry. Rae will be joined by five other weavers who will be educating visitors on loom practices, spinning processes, and the problems of textile waste.

Our society often takes textiles for granted as we live in a place where they are accessible and cheap. We are removed from how they are produced and disposed of.

“Many people are aware of how detrimental the textile and fashion industries are to the wellbeing of Te Taiao [the natural world], however, for many of us it feels like such a big unsolvable issue that is difficult to face as an individual,” Rae says. “We hope to offer a space to connect, be playful, share knowledge, and build a sense of community around meaningful relationships with textiles.”

Through the corresponding kōrero the Micro Mill weavers provide the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the physical labour that goes into textile production, as well as how and why it becomes waste.

“In the Micro Mill we are weaving waste, but also textile connections,” Rae says.