Soft Power - local wool initiatives for a new industrial revolution

While sustainable fashion has gained popularity, sustainable upholstery has yet to receive the same level of attention. The furniture industry has long relied on conventional fabrics which have a significant impact on the environment, while half or more of Swedish and British wool is discarded. Swedish design meets British initiatives in a conversation that combines the artistic process from one of Sweden's most significant designers of all times and the need for local small scale industries for a large-scale development for a more sustainable furniture industry. Join us for a conversation on possibilities and share ideas and examples for around the globe on how we can create local initiatives together on the international design stage. Participants: Swedish designer Ingegerd Råman, panel discussion with Simon Anund, VERK, Mathilda Tham, Earth Logic, Deborah Barker, Director of South East England Fibreshed and Laurie Peake, Director at Super Slow Way. The talk is moderated by Hannah Robinson, Senior Relationships Manager, Architecture Design and Fashion at the British Council. Colleagues and peers in the room are welcome to stay afterwards to continue the conversation. Ingegerd Råman is a Swedish designer with a focus on glass and ceramics but has also created jewellery and has worked with architecture and interior design. Her works can be found at V&A, Riihimäki, Finland and the National Museum in Sweden to name a few. Fibershed is a non-profit organization that develops regional fiber systems that build ecosystem and community health. The work expands opportunities to implement climate benefitting agriculture, rebuild regional manufacturing, and connect end-users to the source of our fiber through education. VERK is a Swedish furniture company with a clear focus on sustainability without compromising on style, comfort or design. VERK works exclusively with Swedish raw materials and produce all furniture locally in Sweden. The brand new wool fabric is theirs and Ingegerd Råman´s first textile. Earth Logic is a collaboration between Kate Fletcher and Mathilda Tham and is focused on systemic change in fashion, and beyond. New work includes ‘Earth Logic Gardening’ which uses the metaphor of gardening to help move ideas to action and ‘Earth Logic Local Fashion Government’ examining how to organize, regulate and care for fashion provision and expression within the communities in which we live. Super Slow Way is an arts programme based in East Lancashire shaped by the local community working alongside artists. Founded in 2015 with two key long-term projects – the Pennine Lancashire Linear Park and the British Textile Biennial – are two of only a small number of core projects detailed in Lancashire County Council’s recently published Cultural Investment Strategy. Hannah Robinson joined the British Council in 2018 to curate, programme and commission international projects across architecture, design and fashion. She is developing global programmes, including Making Matters and Fashion Revolutionaries. The talk is a collaboration between the Embassy of Sweden, Swedish Institute and British Council.