A traveling weaving workshop based in Chicago.

Founded in 2020, The We Were Never Alone Project is a weaving workshop for victims and survivors of domestic violence. While people share their stories, they will also learn how to weave on a cardboard loom.

In these free and limited-participant workshops, participants will be provided with materials such as:

• yarn

• weaving needles

• cardboard looms

  It is encouraged for participants to bring their own experimental materials (such as plastic bags, tees, ties, jeans, scarves, old denim, etc.) to weave with.

The workshops are open to people ages 18+, womxn, bipoc, lgbtqia+

Mission

The project's mission is to eliminate the stigma of being a victim and survivor of domestic violence. So often, there is a significant amount of victim shaming and blaming once victims and survivors come forward with their stories. This project aims to create a safe, supportive, judgment-free community while creating woven art.

About the Founder

Bryana Bibbs (b. 1991) is a Chicago-based artist who works at the intersection of textiles, painting, and community-based practices. Bibbs earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Fiber and Material Studies at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the founder of The We Were Never Alone Project and serves on the Surface Design Association’s Education Committee.

I had always wanted to do a weaving workshop for other victims and survivors of domestic violence to help others connect, tell stories, and create. After reading about the rise in domestic violence calls and cases due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place rules, I felt this urgency to create a space that could allow other victims and survivors to tell their stories. It is important to find areas that are welcoming and have enough privacy where we all feel comfortable enough to share our stories. As a survivor (specifically of narcissistic abuse), weaving has helped me tremendously by allowing me to relax and tell my stories visually. Because I know how relaxing weaving can be, one of my goals for this project is to bring that relaxation into someone else’s life while creating a community.