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The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine

International Society for Arts and Medicine (ISfAM)
18.-20.06.2026
Berlin

Meeting Abstract

What Do Textile Communities Teach Us? Insights into Personal, Social, and Community Well-Being

Jasmina Ferček - Oloop Institute
Zala Orel - Carnica Institute

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Background: Textile communities increasingly function as important spaces of political, cultural, and social change, offering a range of personal, social, and societal benefits. Existing evidence suggests that textile crafting, when pursued as a voluntary leisure activity, can significantly enhance individuals’ quality of life and strengthen communal bonds.

Objectives: This research aims to explore how textile communities act as catalysts for personal, social, political, environmental, and cultural transformation. It also seeks to highlight the voices of individuals who use textile work to foster community cohesion and contribute to urban resilience through collaborative practices.

Methods: We conducted original qualitative research involving in-depth data collection from experts working within textile communities. The material was systematically analyzed to categorize the individual benefits and broader social impacts associated with collective textile crafting.

Results: Our findings demonstrate that textile communities serve as reservoirs of knowledge and active social systems that support care, health, emancipation, and mutual support. Participants described textile community spaces as environments that nurture well-being, cultivate tranquillity, strengthen interpersonal connections, fortify personal and collective identities, and facilitate cultural-social transitions. Additionally, these communities often promote activism and act as drivers of social change.

Conclusion: Textile communities hold significant transformative potential. By fostering collaboration, emotional support, cultural continuity, and activism, they contribute meaningfully to individual well-being and societal resilience. Their role as inclusive spaces for social, cultural, and political engagement underscores their importance in contemporary community life.