RAW: Project Summary

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Project Summary

Worcester is home to one of the largest refugee populations in Massachusetts.  A subset of these refugees are artisans which rely on their craft to preserve their culture and identity. Our team worked with Refugee Artisans of Worcester (RAW) to adapt four American floor looms for refugee weavers so they can continue their craft. Through our semi-standardized interviews, direct observations, and home visits with the weavers, we identified their desires in looms and understood the role weaving plays in their lives. Additionally, we assessed our resources and reached out to the community to gather necessary materials and information for loom adaptations. Ultimately, we adapted four looms, created an instructional video documenting our work, secured a donated portable loom for demonstration purposes, and contributed to the preservation of the refugees’ culture and identity.

Check out our instructional video here.

Comparison of Four Looms Before Modification & After Modification

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Loom 1: Before Modification (Left) and After Modification (Right). Note the reduction in the number of pedals and additional of wheels on the bottom of the loom.

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Loom 2: Before Modification (Left) and After Modification (Right). Note the reduction in number of pedals and shafts, the reduction in overall size and additional of shelf on the top of the loom.

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Loom 3: Before Modification (Left) and After Modification (Right). Note the repair on the left side of the beater bar and additional of wheels on bottom of the loom.

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Loom 4: Before Modification (Left) and After Modification (Right). Note the reduction in number of pedals and shafts, additional of wheels on the bottom of the loom and additional of shelf on top of the loom.

Final Report and Project Video

Link to Final Report: RAW_Final Proposal for Booklet

Link to Final Report Supplemental Materials: RAW_ Final Supplemental Materials

Link to Project Video: