This action, designed by ni, aimed to start a network in the textile arts sector in São Vicente centred on agroecological cotton growing at the Madeiral Agroecological Centre (CAM). It was structured around 3 strands: agroecology, education and art & design.
At the Madeiral Agroecological Centre we expanded from 300 m² to 800 m² of agroecological cultivation of cotton and other species, reaching a scale suited to the available human, water and soil resources, and consolidating quality, quantity and yield.
On the educational side, the Cotton Cycle workshop - aimed at artisans, women farmers and emerging designers - took place at Liceu Velho in the first half of 2021, over 18 days (9 days of fibre processing and 9 days of introduction to weaving). It trained the group in craft skills and technologies for processing the fibre through the hands-on practice of a set of gestures essential to transforming cotton, such as carding, spinning and weaving, and through the introduction of some techniques and tools for mechanising them. This journey gave rise to the collective piece Mon na Cotton, a tapestry shown at the final presentation.
To open new paths for developing design products with local cotton, the Rbera artist residency was set up.
The Rbera residency took place in August and, over 14 days, the Mountain witnessed an exchange of knowledge, experiences, trial and error at the Madeiral Agroecological Centre (CAM). We saw the birth of market-ready pieces, such as the locally produced Neve Insular seasoned cheeses, made with UTAGA, and the ceramic food design pieces called Rbera, which emerged from the dialogue between the different participants, their knowledge and their raw materials.
Public sessions were held with schools and the general public at the Madeiral Agroecological Centre, Zero Point Art Gallery and the Centro Cultural do Mindelo.
Among the many outcomes of Spinning the cotton of new generations, we highlight the relationships with everyone who took part in the various activities, the closeness with educational institutions whose students enriched the dynamics, and the strengthening of ties with, and the agroecological values of, the Associação Agropecuária do Calhau e Madeiral.