The Women in Protest season is supported by the Sainbury trust and takes inspiration from Sally Payen's exhibition 'The Fence and The Shadow'. Her series of paintings explore the Women's peace camps and anti-nuclear protests that took place at Greenham Common during the 1980s. Myself and a number of other female artists are collaborating with MAC Birmingham to "explore the traditionally "feminine", "domestic" arts, and the power they hold".
The area I will be exploring in my 'Women in Protest' workshop is Eco-Activism. Those that know me or have attended any of my sewing and pattern classes know that I am a big supporter of ecological and sustainable fashion and impart ways to recycle/ upcycle/ donate/ make do and mend clothes as opposed to throwing them away.
It is suggested that over 680 million items of clothes will be discarded this year, with an alarming 235 million items ending up in Landfill. (Smithers, 2017). It has previously been reported that out of all the clothing and textiles that are thrown away, 13% of the material is recovered, another 13% is incinerated and the remaining 74% goes to landfill (Fletcher, 2008, p.98). This has a heavy impact on the environment as it can contaminate ground water and contribute to high greenhouse gas emission levels. One of the causes for these statistics is the high consumption levels of clothing, or 'Fast Fashion'. Items are bought and discarded before they have been used fully or 'worn out'.
To highlight this problem, I will be running an Eco-Activism workshop in October where old clothing that has been discarded will be reused for an alternative purpose. A mixture of pieces will be deconstructed and combined together to create 1 metre by 1 metre squares. Buttons will be placed on 2 sides and button holes on the remaining 2 sides. This will allow for the square to be wrapped around the wearer as a garment, made into a sleeping bag, used as a blanket or connected to other squares to form a tent or community living space that can provide shelter.
If you would like to find out more about this project, please feel free to get in touch on: studio@sianriley.co.uk
If you would like to join us for this workshop, head over to MAC Birmingham's website to book your place. Start collecting any old clothes, accessories and scrap/ unused fabric to bring with you to help build your squares.
If you would like to find out more about this project, please feel free to get in touch on: studio@sianriley.co.uk
If you would like to join us for this workshop, head over to MAC Birmingham's website to book your place. Start collecting any old clothes, accessories and scrap/ unused fabric to bring with you to help build your squares.
Sources:
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Journeys. London: Earthscan.
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; Design Journeys. London: Earthscan.
Smithers, R. (2017). Britons expected to send 235m items of clothing to landfill this Spring. [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/06/britons-expected-to-send-235m-items-of-clothing-to-landfill-this-spring. Accessed: 28/9/2017.
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