The craft of wisdom - Climate activist learning in the hands of Australia's Knitting Nannas

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Explores how craftivism supports climate justice learning through Australia’s Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed (KNAG, theNannas). Framing activist adult learning as social movement learning, it situates environmental and climate justice struggles within lifelong learning. Data from a PhD study collected via surveys, interviews, social media/document analysis, and researcher auto-ethnography show craftivism fostering collective activist identity, ecological literacy, and non-violent direct action skills. The learning ecology enabled critical reflection and transformative, emancipatory dispositions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Origins and early mobilisation (2012)

Transformative learning through guerrilla surveillance

Crafting as core social movement learning process

Data collection and analysis methods

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 62, Number 3, November 2022 The craft of wisdom: Climate activist learning in the hands of Australia's Knitting Nannas Larraine J. Larri This article discusses the contribution of craftivism to climate justice learning through the practices of Australia’s Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed (aka KNAG or theNannas). Framing activist adult learning as social movement learning locates environmental and climate justice struggles within lifelong learning practices. Established in 2012, theNannas are an older women’s anti-coal seam gas and fossil fuel movement that has grown to encompass intergenerational ecological sustainability activism. Data presented in this paper were collected with active KNAG members in Australia as part of a PhD study using surveys, interviews, document analysis of social media (Facebook posts, digital videos, e-news bulletins) and researcher auto-ethnography. The research identified the milieu of craftivism motivated older women to collaboratively build their activist identity, ecological and environmental literacy, and non-violent direct action activist skills. The learning ecology involved a complex web of social interactions and encounters that stimulated opportunities for active listening and critical reflection, which promoted transformative and emancipatory learning dispositions. Craftivism was analysed to be the catalyst and transformative force that activated situated experiential learning and identity formation. The craft of wisdom: Climate activist learning in the hands of Australia's Knitting Nannas 353 Keywords: Knitting Nannas Against Gas, social movement learning, nannagogy, climate justice activism, craftivism, critical feminist gerogogy Introduction The Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed (aka KNAG, or the Nannas) began in 2012. A handful of older women were part of a community mobilisation when the Northern Rivers area of NSW was targeted for coal seam gas (CSG) mining by Metgasco. Motivated to protect the environment for future generations, the women joined a group offering training in non-violent direct action (NVDA). After a number of weekly meetings they became frustrated by the inaction and indecision of their male leaders. The women were annoyed by being denigrated for their activist ideas and relegated to stereotypical ageist and sexist activities of making teas, providing biscuits, and taking minutes. Nanna Joy (pseudonym) explained, …some of the men involved and theNVDA were not treating the women, especially the older women, as if we had any agency. Pretty much putting us in our little pigeonhole …[with] suggestions that we provide catering, tea and bickies and that we could do paperworkey bits and pieces. Which is certainly not why we joined theNVDA …we were pretty much stereotyped and there were quite a few sweet little old ladies there, I suppose they didn't expect us to be on the cutting edge. It's a particular type of sexism that suddenly, once you reach menopause, you've never had sex, you've never used your brain, you haven't heard half the words in the English language and you're deaf. Yeahand they speak slowly and loudly to you! Highly motivated to take meaningful action, and not wanting to waste time fighting for equality, the women side-stepped the issue and banded together. This was a pivotal moment of transformative learning that led to emancipatory decision-making. Rather than stay thwarted and disenfranchised, the women devised their alternative activism as a form of ‘guerrilla surveillance’. Small groups went out into the countryside, parked by roadsides with their knitting, folding chairs, and thermoses to ‘scope out the works’; that is, watching, and recording Metgasco 354 Larraine J. Larri truck movements (Ngara Institute, 2018). Initially, knitting was away of productively passing the time, but it soon became a form of environmental activism that older women could engage in. The women realis

FAQs

What is KNAG and what role did it play from 2012 onward?

KNAG, also known as theNannas, began in 2012 when older women mobilised to respond to coal seam gas mining targeting the Northern Rivers area of NSW. They joined training in non-violent direct action and later developed their own alternative activism.

How did the women’s knitting evolve into environmental activism?

Knitting began as a way to pass time during meetings and field activities, but it soon became a visible environmental activism practice. Small groups used their knitting and presence to scope out and record key activities, described as “guerrilla surveillance”.

What methods were used to collect and analyze the study data?

The study used an online survey, interviews, and public-domain social media and related document analysis (including Facebook posts, digital videos, emails, and e-news bulletins). Analysis used NVivo 11 with thematic coding and triangulation across multiple data sources.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran