Danique Waarle

I’ve always loved crafting and working with my hands. Both my grandmothers showed me how to do certain crafts like painting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and embroidery. I loved learning new skills and trying out different things.

Due to my love for art and creation, I studied ‘Visual Arts in Education’ at ArtEZ University of the Arts. I finished this bachelor in 2025 and continued my journey with the master ‘International Master Artist Educator’, also at ArtEZ University of the Arts, in the school year 2025–2026. During this time of my studies, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my practice, about the ethics of working with people, about how to connect with various communities, and how to create workshops and methods. Crafting is now at the base of my practice, especially crafts like crocheting, knitting, quilting, and weaving. I have a strong belief in the benefit of crafting in a group for people’s well-being. This belief was strengthened by a journey I made to Morocco as part of my studies in the ‘International Master Artist Educator’ in 2026.

We worked there with a social organisation called “DARNA” which works with various groups of people in Tangier. This is all done in 5 locations; Pedagogical Farm, Children’s House, Women’s House, DARNA Theatre and the shelter. DARNA means ‘Our house’ in Arabic and these places can be exactly that for various groups of people. They can enter freely, learn new skills and be in a supportive community.

During my 3 months’ stay I worked at the Women’s House in Tangier. I worked mostly in the weaving studio there and saw how crafting and community is beautifully inherited in the culture there. In the studio we all were working on our projects, like crocheting, quilting but of course mostly weaving. I saw how the women there were communicating through crafting. We were chatting about the week, dancing, singing and sharing work. We cheered people on for their work and there was a beautiful atmosphere of togetherness.

In that same trip I joined “Ana Tanja” (a cultural and artistic cooperative) who organised crochet workshops every Thursday at the Donkey Museum in Tangier. I joined almost every week and saw how crafting created community in this new setting. The aim was to crochet granny squares and create a tarp for the museum; people could join and learn how to crochet or learn different patterns. Although the workshop was open to everyone, it was aimed from the beginning to be for women who retired. This group could function as a way of connecting through creation, and to do so in a public space where women could gather safely.

Every Thursday we came together, shared stories, sang, made music and of course crocheted. We shared knowledge and showed creations. Again, there was this beautiful togetherness.

The women of the crochet workshop mentioned a saying in Arabic that is called “Hadith w Megzel”. This saying is meant to highlight working with your hands and chatting. This can be therapeutic - coming together every Thursday and sharing our thoughts/feelings can create and stimulate community and help from the group. Letting go of various parts of the week and joining in a celebration of creation.

In my practice I want to create spaces where people can come together and connect. I’ve created workshops that involved crafting but also involved a topic for people to connect over. I created a mask-making workshop surrounding the topic of gender-based violence and I saw how, in a short period of time, people opened and found solidarity amongst the group. This is for me the most beautiful part of my practice. The joining of people who can find solidarity amongst each other, through creation and through each other.

I hope to be able to do this for a very long time as I believe art can be the cure for this world where speed takes over the beauty of connection. Art can bridge differences in culture, language and background. Art, for me, is a language spoken by everyone.