Clare Daněk

Profile

My PhD research uses an autoethnographic approach to explore amateur craft learning in open access community spaces and the home, looking at printmaking, ceramics and sewing. I explore the experience of learning alongside others, the development of a creative voice, and the role played by the making space in practitioners’ development. This interest builds on many years of amateur creative practice, including analogue photography, writing, and sewing, and builds on autoethnographic research undertaken at MA level, in which I considered the acquisition of craft skills through undertaking a beginner’s woodwork course.

Prior to beginning this research, I spent twenty years working in various management and communications roles in the arts and creative industries, in areas including contemporary visual and digital art, puppetry, community arts festivals, electronic music, and design policy.

As part of my research I created a ‘stitch journal’ as a way of reflecting on my experience. More information about this can be found at www.claredanek.me

Research interests

• Amateur creativity

• craft (in particular ethnographies of craft)

• social making

Qualifications

• BA (hons) Fine Art (painting) Norwich University of the Arts 1998
• MA Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship, University of Leeds, 2016