Author: Regina

Yesterday afternoon we made dolls at Church Street Library in London. 

Our makers were Sara, Kazhal, Sue, Beatrice, Yusra, Lorraine, Catherine, Lian, Tamara, Jayda, Jawad, Deidre, Pauline, Chioma and Justin. We made 14 dolls. 

‘Great session. Just pop in to collect a magazine and it was a pleasant surprise to be met with this lovely lady who helped me and my friend relax and enjoy the thoughts and dreams and a bonus to help reduce my blood pressure. Excellent work. Thank you for this space.’ 

‘Making the doll was fun and the lady was nice. I would like to see more things like this.’ 

‘I enjoyed all the process of making the doll and being with other people making new friends and seeing old friends.’

‘This was a very fun creative experience. Instructor was very helpful and met other lovely people.’ 

‘A peaceful, calm session. The lady had a lovely relaxing voice, no stress the whole thing, no guilty because I couldn’t do the task properly ( I had a stroke). Meditation was absolutely lovely.’ 

It was one of the Fun Palaces that happens out of the annual weekend celebration. I am grateful for all our makers, for Amie who made the bridge and for Patsy for welcoming us at the library and organising the event. I am specially grateful for our maker Lorraine who at some point was a kind assistant helping makers to make their dolls. Thank you so much! 

Our makers were Bonnie, Lielle, Isla, Eli, Srishti, Retta, Ahmed, Lana, Paula-Ann, Margot, Elodie, Bridget, Tom, Isla, Savannah, Dion, Max, Lora, Erin, Arlo, Chiara, Charlene, Adam, Odi, Rumi, Angie, Sophia, Michael, Lucia, Scout, Izar, Ruby and Saioa. 

We made 28 dolls. Some parents helped their kids to make their dolls and they didn’t make their own. I finished some of them at home yesterday and they spent the day in the sun.

Sometimes the session was really busy full of kids and I couldn’t take any photos. 

‘I liked doing the art with my children. They are my dream and they have their own dreams.’ 

‘A lovely initiative. I liked the feel of the dreams. It was good, fun and calm, thank you!’ 

‘We enjoyed making Sewey.’ 

‘We enjoyed making the dolls and putting in the dreams. It is lovely to think all the dolls working together. ‘

‘Wonderful experience, thanks for the great work, loved every part of it and would definitely make more dolls filled with dreams.’  

‘I reminded my daughter that when she was little we had a soft bear doll that had a heart. We called it ‘Taupa- Taupa’ which is the sound of heartbeats in Basque language.’ 

‘We made three dolls- for Adam, Odi and Charlene. I finished all three for the twins. I meditated each one,  one for me and one for each twin. I felt my heartbeat and the heartbeat of the twins flow into each doll so they will keep our three heartbeats forever.’

It was our 5th Fun Palace. It was an amazing experience as it has always been in the past years. I am grateful for our lovely makers, for Amie and Susannah for organising and opening the space for all of us, thank you so much!

First week of August we run a workshop in São Paulo Brazil at Espaço Vitrine.

There was a beautiful coincidence.

Ten years ago we were making dolls in Birmingham and one of the makers showed me on his mobile a photo of an incredible artwork – many small people made of ice sitting on the stairs of a public building. I was amazed by the beauty of it. I thought it was made by a Nordic artist.  He showed me because he felt a connection between the dolls and those small people. 

In my recent trip to Brazil I was invited to an event about art and politics. When I entered in the room I saw photos on the wall of those little figures made of ice. The event was in the studio of the amazing Brazilian artist who created them. I was delighted to have met her and realise the guessed nordic artist was in fact a very tropical one. We talked about our work and she invited me to run this workshop.

Solange, Leonor, Cintia, Wanya, Sarah, Eliana, Laura e Néle joined us. We made 9 dolls. 

‘What delights is the simplicity of the experience: we arrive, chat, sit down, sew, and—before we know it opens a portal to an inner dreamlike universe. There is much poetry in fabrics and fillings of “dreamt” pillows. There is a sense of purification in crafting beings out of this material of dreams. I left the gathering feeling light and replenished.’

‘I loved the concept of placing dreams inside the little doll that represents us. Our bodies and souls are filled with them, what are we without our dreams? What do we want if we have no dreams? I loved the workshop, the explanations, and the connection we had with the work.’

‘Today I had a very special dream. It was a dream of reunion, forgiveness, and abundant love. I was in another city, but I rushed over to be part of this heartwarming, loving workshop.’ 

‘I loved the experience of filling the doll with dreams. Regina is very creative and loving. She gave us this wonderful experience and  participants felt a strong sense of connection.’

‘Filling a dream doll is like filling life with dreams. Living itself is a dream.’

‘I’ve done this exercise before and each time it’s a different experience. New figures, new dreams, new interactions. Thank you once again. I’m happy to have participated today.’

‘It was an experience of encountering oneself. Gratitude.’

‘Calm, serenity, harmony, emotion, and depth.’

We spent a lovely afternoon together with meaningful conversations and connections. We had a gorgeous full moon on the ceiling blessing us all the way along. I’m really grateful for the all the makers and for Néle and her little figures who opened their studio for d&h dolls.

Thank you so much!