Research Fellowship Project
March – April 2016
Project Title: Everyday Creativity
Using ethnography, Dr Gail Kenning explores contemporary relationships to craft activities and hobbies, with a focus on how these activities contribute to positive wellbeing and healthy ageing. During her fellowship, Kenning interviewed MAAS staff and volunteers, and accessed the Museum’s archives and Research Library to explore literature about craft activities and their popularity at various times, and to examine craft techniques. Kenning’s research provided a wealth of information about craft activities and how people engage with them, which will inform and underpin future research in this area.
Kenning is an artist, researcher, educator, and Research Associate, University of Technology Sydney. Previously, Kenning has been the recipient of funding for work related to craft and wellbeing, where she has worked with the Lace Study Centre at the Powerhouse Museum; the evaluation of arts programs for people with dementia; and projects exploring participatory design approaches working with and for people with dementia. Kenning is Design United Research Fellow at University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands, where she researches in relation to implicit memory, ageing and dementia. Kenning works at the intersection of art, craft, design and technology. Her artistic practice spans sculptural installation, photography and video, programmed animations and data visualization. She has exhibited and screened works internationally and nationally at public galleries, private galleries and artist run initiatives.