TEDnesday Talks: "How Yarn Bombing Grew Into A Worldwide Movement"

Wait. That's a thing?

At Student Edge, we like to keep ourselves up to date with all the latest innovative ideas in the world of technology, education and design. We also love puns. So, over Wednesday lunch, we watch TED talks. Thus: TEDnesday.

This week, we watched textile artist Magda Sayeg speak about how she started yarn bombing and how it has since become a worldwide movement. (This was recorded in November of 2015).

Check it out!

Let's talk, TED.

So, did anyone know that the "yarn bombing" movement had an official beginning? Or that it was even ten years old? Or that the occasional knitted-over street pole or bicycle rack that you'd seen was actually part of a movement? Perhaps I'm just late onto the scene.

Magda explains how her first yarn bombing of a door handle and then a stop sign was an attempt to change the cold, grey urban environment around her into something a little warmer and fuzzier. She credits the popularity and spread of this movement to people wanting to find something to relate to in an otherwise unsociable, increasingly digital world.

The back-story of yarn bombing was one that I was not aware of and it was interesting to hear her take on the movement that has snowballed with no further prompting. It would be great to follow-up by hearing from others who had run with the movement and tried to recruit people to knit alongside them (and a perfect opportunity to name it Good Wool Hunting).

"Hidden power can be found in the most unassuming places," Magda says, and this got us thinking. If this unorganised group of yarn bombers can have such a widespread effect on the world, what could they do if they were organised? Could the energy given to this technically illegal pastime be better spent, or channeled towards solving greater societal issues?

Magda tells us a great story of the yarn bombing movement and how it eventually grew beyond her, despite some of her personal artworks definitely being very impressive. All in all, an interesting talk that illustrates the power of individuals acting towards a shared goal, with or without any formal structure. Be on the lookout for Student Edge's emerging "flash fries" movement (like a flash mob but where everybody gets chips).

How could the collective power seen in the yarn bombing movement be harnessed towards a greater social good? And what if the students of Australia were to drive that movement? Share your thoughts below!