A photograph of the earthquake-damaged Canterbury Television Building. Some of the windows have broken and large cracks can be seen in the walls.
A photograph of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre, taken before the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
INTRODUCTION: There is little research on the role of creative arts and craft in disaster recovery. This article reports findings about the emergent role of crafting from research conducted after the 2010–2011 series of earthquakes in Christchurch and surrounding districts in Aotearoa New Zealand. In particular, the article focuses on the significance and differing interpretations of the notion of place expressed by participants through their craftwork, in this case led by women and mediated by the post-earthquake geographic and temporal context. METHOD: This qualitative research included nine individual interviews and five focus group interviews with crafters from Christchurch and surrounding districts. There were 35 participants in total, 33 were women. Applied thematic analysis was used to code the data and identify themes. These themes included connection to place, the symbolism of craft, the healing experience of craft groups and places for women. The notion of place was evident across all three themes. FINDINGS: The findings from the research demonstrate differing ways in which the significance of place was reflected in the craftwork. Participants interpreted the concept of place in descriptive, symbolic, and therapeutic ways. IMPLICATIONS: More understanding about the way creative endeavours like crafting can be used to help ameliorate the impact of natural disasters is needed. Social work practitioners are encouraged to explore place-based wellbeing during their work with service users and to include aspects of artistry, craft and creativity.
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 22 February 2013
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 21 September 2012
A scanned copy of a photograph of the garden of Di Madgin's former home in the Red Zone, taken before the earthquakes. The Avon River is in the background.
A photograph of students outside one of the "pods" of temporary classrooms and offices at Kirkwood Village. The pods were constructed at the University of Canterbury campus following the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Welcome to the Recover newsletter Issue 6 from the Marine Ecology Research Group (MERG) of the University of Canterbury. Recover is designed to keep you updated on our MBIE-funded earthquake recovery project called RECOVER (Reef Ecology, Coastal Values & Earthquake Recovery). This 6th instalment features the ‘new land’ created by the earthquake uplift of the coastline, recreational uses of beaches in Marlborough, and pāua survey work and hatchery projects with our partners in Kaikōura.
Tour bus on Cambridge Terrace. File reference: CCL-2011-08-12-CanterburyPublic Library pre-demolition-042 From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries.
A photograph of the Townsend Telescope in the Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Graeme Kershaw, Technician at the University of Canterbury Department of Astronomy and Physics, is standing to the left. This image was used by Kershaw to identify the telescope's parts after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
12th April 2012 Demolition of Crowne Plaza/Park Royal Hotel due to damage from 22nd February 2011 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks
(I righted the bird bath after the initial earthquake. None of the after-shocks were sufficient to knock it over again.)
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 14 June 2013
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 23 August 2013
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 20 September 2013
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 12 October 2012
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 28 September 2012
A copy of the CanCERN online newsletter published on 7 September 2012
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