Processing and weaving of different local materials on-loom for basketry products
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Date
2011
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Abstract
The project sought to introduce new ideas into the basketry industry. Basketry has been practiced long ago in homes and schools in Ghana. It is used for many purposes in the Ghanaian environment such as storage of food items, measuring cereals and other food items, as shopping bags and for carrying items. There has not been much innovation in the basketry production in Ghana as basket makers use the traditional way of producing baskets. In schools, students studying basketry have not demonstrated innovation enough to bring new ideas into basketry production. This may be due to the fact that teachers do not have the knowledge and the skills to introduce students to new ideas in basketry production. The qualitative method of research was employed for the study under which the following methods and data collection instruments were adopted for the study: experimental research method, descriptive research method, research conducted at libraries and field, purposive sampling technique, interview and observation. The research discovered that it is possible to use the ordinary domestic loom to weave basketry structures from natural and man-made materials; that local materials that are flexible in nature found in the environment can be used for interesting basketry products; that there had not been much innovation in equipment or basketry products over the years. In order to enhance creativity and innovation in the basketry industry, the research recommends; that students should try other weave structures other than plain and twill weave such as satin and sateen using processed basketry materials on the man-powered loom; that on-loom basketry should be introduced in the school curriculum and to the occupational basket makers, so that teachers can encourage students to use flexible natural and man-made materials in their environment for basketry production. This in a way can help promote recycling of waste; that basket makers should try to use other materials such as polythene which is found everywhere in Ghana and other fibres which can be found in their localities for basketry; that basket makers should also make use of equipment or device like the loom to enhance productivity.
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A Project Report submitted to the School of Graduate Studies Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art Education