What is Kickstart ?

The East Midlands Region of the Embroiderers Guild created the Kickstart programme in 2001 to fulfil the Guild's educational aim by holding workshops, and its aim to exhibit embroidery to the public by showing the work produced each year.

It was devised to encourage those members who wished to develop their work to a deeper level than perhaps a day workshop might have to offer, as well as the opportunity to have their work hung in an exhibition.

Our Kickstart year starts and ends at Regional Day, with our Exhibition being held as soon afterwards as we can.

Although work for the Exhibition is mainly delivered to us at Regional Day, we do not have sufficient time or space to put on it all on display there.

For members to have their work included in the exhibition, all we ask is that they attend just one of the workshops for that year (you may attend more than one, of course) and buy a £5 hard copy of the booklet, or download it from this website, in which case you will be asked for a fee of £5. Buying a booklet does not commit you to taking part but does support the running of Kickstart and its Exhibition. Any profit from the sale of the booklet goes towards the exhibition costs.

All workshops run from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Refreshments are provided throughout the day but not lunch. It is our policy to hang all entries received into the Kickstart Exhibition for this theme.

The booklet we now produce to go alongside the theme is currently produced by regional committee members and is intended help members to start the design process with suggestions and guidance as to where inspiration might be found. This includes websites, artists who have also looked at the theme for their inspiration, writings which might inspire, poems and even a few illustrations showing artists' interpretations.

The booklet also lists the tutors and their workshops for the current year and directions to the chosen workshop venues. We try to select venues in roughly north, south, east and western areas of the Region to make it easier for members to travel to them. We also match up our tutors with the theme and these will vary from year to year.

We have had a different theme each year. Some, National Trust venues, Gardens and various Museums, have needed a visit. For others, like Graffiti, Chocolate and Flowers, travel has not been so important and members have been able to research the subject closer to home. A list of previous themes can be found here.

From 'Museum of Lincolnshire Life' theme