A three-day workshop in collaboration with artist Vibeke Steinsholm, celebrating multicultural common ground with asylum seekers and refugees at Tverlandet Refugee Centre in Bodø, Norway, November 2017. Produced by HATS (Hålogaland Amatørteaterselskap)
Flatbread
Flatbread may seem uniquely Norwegian, but many cultures have traditions of baking flat breads, both leavened and unleavened. In Syria and other Muslim countries, for example, people bake the Arabic flatbread khubz. At this workshop, participants shared and baked flatbreads from Norway, Syria, Ethiopia, and Iraq.
Rugs
These colourful, practical crochet rugs are ideal for collaborative making. The act of creating invites conversation and the sharing of stories across languages and cultures. In traditional North Norwegian culture, recycling was common—people made rugs from worn bedding, clothing, and even plastic bags. Across many cultures, reuse has long been central to craft. Today, recycling is both trendy and necessary due to environmental concerns.
At the workshop, participants learned basic crocheting skills and how to scale them up for rugs. Colour, composition, and aesthetic choices were explored alongside conversations about handcraft traditions from Syria, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
