The birth of a magazine

More than a basket making magazine!

Magazines LLCLe Lien Créatif is a magazine about weaving, braiding and other associated techniques. It is a living bridge between all the diverse disciplines in basketry: rural or ancestral weaving and academia, between the useful and the decorative, between monumental works in public spaces and works in our own homes. A bridge between past and present, modern and traditional.

Of the past, Le Lien Créatif seeks to preserve and to transmit skills and traditions… without nostalgia or sentimental attachment to the past, so that tomorrow the essential role of basketry in many areas of life, will be remembered.

As to modernity, it cannot be ignored and weaving that lives with its times is a must. Adapting to new conditions is a requirement that all crafts must fully adhere to, if they are to survive. Otherwise, they are likely to remain confined to museum exhibitions.

The universality of weaving techniques remains one of the ways of avoiding this pitfall. The weaving of materials together remains a relevant means to give shape to contemporary projects. Each new encounter brings opportunities to discover initiatives which show that weaving is present, not only where we would expect to find it, (baskets, decoration etc.) but also in new domains (conquest of public spaces, art therapy, eco- development, recycling of industrial materials).

In fact, weaving materials together is the best way of enlarging their usage. This was the case in the past , when rural societies used the natural fibres which surrounded them and it remains the case today in the era of oil exploitation. When the oil begins to run out, it could well be the signal for a return to the infinite renewability of natural fibres. In this domain, without need to become the “fashion”, weaving has always held a high place.

Periods of crisis are often times when opportunities for advances are made. The one which basketry traverses dates back to the 19th Century and was compounded by the move to “all plastic” after the Second World War. The beginnings of this revival are now being felt in many spheres of public and private life. To accompany this revival and to give it visibility is one of the “raisons d’être” of the magazine.

Le Lien Créatif wants to be a communication link between all participants in this sector be they professional or amateur… It is also a tool for reflecting, a window on new ideas and discoveries and way of sharing knowledge and experiences. Above all this magazine belongs to you: it must be the expression of your talents and of your dreams and it is for you to help us share them.

Bernard Bertrand

 

History and objectives

It all started from the fact that at the time, be it in French, English or another language, there was no real magazine for the general public on that vast subject this is basket weaving, plaiting and weaving.

There are many people who are ready to share their knowledge and many people who have missed out on important events (courses, meetings, festivals, jobs, clubs, associations…) simply because they didn’t hear about them.

The role of Le Lien Créatif is to fill this gap.

Simple objectives

  • To echo all the initiatives, to listen to all currents, to promote exchanges between weavers.
  • Create links and synergies between often isolated actors.
  • Create links between amateurs and professionals.
  • Promote and encourage creativity.
  • Challenging myths and stereotypes that confine basketry in a backward-looking straitjacket.
  • Being a dynamic review focused on the future.

Ways and means for success

  • A motivated editorial team, assisted by an efficient network of local correspondents (France and abroad).
  • A magazine can only find its financial equilibrium through subscriptions, we hope for rapid and numerous subscriptions, because our means will depend on these numbers.
  • You can help by distributing the journal or managing a distribution point.

A vow to conclude that: Le Lien Créatif is YOUR magazine… The magazine needs you to exist, as you need it to publicise your events… Above all, we are here to listen to you!

 

Le Lien Créatif today

Every 3 months, 68 pages of practical information and original ideas, all served by quality illustrations:

  • Dossiers on a technique, a region, a plant type
  • “Step by step” design guides
  • Reports (basket makers portraits, museum visits, business, trade fairs, festivals, etc.)
  • The news: the calendar of all upcoming events (festivals, workshops, training sessions, meetings, etc.)
  • An address book to go further, find the right materials, tools…
  • Innovations and current trends (Land’Art, eco-basket making)
  • A “You have talent” section, reserved for readers
  • Classified ads
  • And many other things to come…

In a few words:
2012: launch of the magazine in French, first issue in September.
2015: launch of the magazine in English, first issue in September.
Published initially by Terran editions, Le Lien Créatif is now published by Terran Magazine.