MEET THE GREEN GRADS at GRAND DESIGNS LIVE
“Our vision is to fuel UK environmental action with new talent from UK Universities.” – Barbara Chandler and Michael Czerwinski, co-directors of GREEN GRADS.
Vases grown from mycelium, a new seaweed biomaterial for testing kits, an off-grid heating blanket powered by the sun, and a DIY robot to test for polluted water: these are just a few enterprises 24 GREEN GRADS are bringing to GREEN LIVING at GRAND DESIGNS LIVE in Docklands, April 29-May 7 at Excel, Docklands, London.
The following week, May 9-13, 10 GREEN GRADS will show at the prestigious Artefact event at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
So, what and who are GREEN GRADS?
“We’re a ‘platform’ promoting recent graduates of UK Universities who are confronting the world’s most pressing eco-issues,” explains founder/curator Barbara Chandler.
“Our graduates are tackling sustainability, climate change, circular production, waste and pollution, new materials, biophilia, biodiversity and much more. We find them at universities and degree shows. They include engineers, product and furniture designers, material scientists, ceramicists, textile and graphic designers, craftspeople, artists, filmmakers and others.”
GREEN GRADS promote graduates and their projects through shows, films, informal Salons, a website, a YouTube channel, and Instagram. Currently, there are around 80 GREEN GRADS profiled on www.greengrads.co.uk.
Which GREEN GRADS Innovators & Designs can you discover at Grand Designs London this year?
The Green Grad Innovators you can meet at GRAND DESIGNS include:
Luisa Charles (RCA + Imperial College). She’s created a clever little low-cost DIY robot that can test water purity – it’s already being used in Colombo. Luisa is the winner of the GREEN GRADS Change Maker Award (@luisajcharles).
View this post on Instagram
Equally socially-conscious is Mireille Steinhage (Material Futures, UAL). Showing alongside Luisa, she’s invented a heated blanket run off a solar panel placed in a window. She says: “We need to make sustainability accessible and affordable with comfortable homes for everyone” (@mireillesteinhage).
And Libby Challoner (Falmouth University) has perfected a new biomaterial from seaweed, which could be used for medical testing kits.
Green Grad Makers at GRAND DESIGNS include:
Helen Munday (Hereford College of Art), who lives off-grid in a converted truck, will be live-weaving willow for baskets and lampshades (@wondersofwillow123).
Activists include Navpreet Singh (BA Middlesex University), who holds the GREEN GRADS Earth Award.
“I’m tackling our throw-away culture and working for positive social and environmental change.”
Read her compelling Sustainable Design Manifesto at GRAND DESIGNS.
“This is a conversation starter so that users, designers, and manufacturers can understand the impact design choices have on supply chains and the environment” (@nav.desinghni).
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Passionate, too, is Grace Arrowsmith (Loughborough University) coming to GRAND DESIGNS LIVE to trumpet the low demand/low prices for British wool. Grace is a sixth-generation farmer. Her family’s 1040 acres has 1000 ewes and 60 cows. In 2021, they received just £135 in total for 1000 fleeces – approximately 14p per fleece.
“British wool has been worthless in recent years, so I am campaigning to rebuild the industry.” (@gracearrowsmith).
And ten carefully selected GREEN GRADS, skilled makers all, are coming to Artefact.
For example, Christoph Kurzmann (Rycotewood Furniture Centre) makes elegantly curved stools and storage towers crafted from waste from the discarded contents of 280 University bedrooms.
This is adaptive reuse, says Christoph – “and I’m upscaling upcycling” (@christophstudio).
Christoph will also be at GRAND DESIGNS LIVE.
Art activists Elena Branch (prints and textiles) and Roberta Schreyer (soft sculptures) will also be at both events.
Then there’s William Harris (at Artefact) from the RCA whose exquisite chandeliers are made from rescued bottle glass – “from garbage to gorgeous,” as he likes to say.
And Mathilde Wittock’s beautiful acoustic screens are made from discarded tennis balls.
Showing at GRAND DESIGNS LIVE ExCel April 29th-May 7th
Adele Jordan, old duvets for insulating blinds; @adelecjordan
Amber Thompson, Cloud-like shades of carded wool waste; @alouisethompson
Angela Piazza; roof tiles from multi-layered plastics; @angi.futuresdesigner
Callum Pincombe; Sliced timber for a waste-less table top; @callumpincombe
Christoph Kurzmann; Oxford Brookes University; new furniture from discarded bedrooms @christophstudio
Elena Branch, patterns to call out the climate crisis; @elenadrewthis
Esme MacGregor; new ceramics from ceramic waste; @esme.macgregor
The FLOD Collective, Sheffield Hallam University; river waste for plant pots; @flod.uk
Georgie Gerrard; growing vessels from mycelium; @gk.g_design
Grace Arrowsmith; action against wasted fleece; @gracearrowsmith_design
Helen Munday; weaving willow off-grid; @wondersofwillow123
Jacob Marks; a craft revival for pine resin @jmakesuk
Kiara Taylor; electronic waste for low-cost lights; @addzero_
Libby Challoner; seaweed for a new biomaterial; @L.c. Products
Luisa Charles; a DIY robot to test wetland water; @luisajcharles
Millie Harris; a steam-bent bench from one piece of timber; @millieharriscraft
Mireille Steinhage; an off-grid heating blanket; @mireillesteinhage
Navpreet Singh; a manifesto for repair; @nav.desinghni
Rebekah Longland; textiles with a home-grown message; @rebekah.longland
Roberta Schreyer; art as activism @robertaschreyer
Ryan McClure; a pollution monitor for watersports; @__ryanmcclure
SHOWING AT ARTEFACT DESIGN CENTRE, CHELSEA HARBOUR, May 9th-13th
Amber Thompson, Cloud-like shades of carded wool waste; @alouisethompson
Bruno Schooling; wild clay for “hyper-local” tableware; @bruno_schooling
Christoph Kurzmann; Oxford Brookes University; new furniture from discarded bedrooms @christophstudio
Elena Branch, patterns to call out the climate crisis; @elenadrewthis
Georgie Gerrard; growing vessels from mycelium; @gk.g_design
Mathilde Wittock; Soundbounce: old tennis balls for an elegant screen; @mwittock
Millie Harris; a steam-bent bench from one piece of timber; @millieharriscraft
Roberta Schreyer; art as activism @robertaschreyer
Simon Redstone; a new aesthetic for willow weaving; @simon_redstone
William Harris; exquisite chandeliers from bottle glass; @invisibleinque2485
GREEN GRADS AT GREEN LIVING at GRAND DESIGNS LIVE April 29th-May 7th
Excel, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL
GREEN GRADS AT ARTEFACT, DESIGN CENTRE CHELSEA HARBOUR, May 9th-13th
Lots Road, SW10 0XE
Because today’s graduates are tomorrow’s planet
www.greengrads.co.uk
@greengrads22
YouTube: www.bit.ly/3Q46j43
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