2022-2023 saw the beginnings of changing and adapting our fabrication practices. We have been looking at how we and the wider sector can respond to the environmental impacts on the planet our industry is causing. We’re moving towards becoming more sustainable and researching new ways of working which will reduce our water and energy consumption, as well as researching and implementing ways of using natural dyes, materials, and fibres in our work. We’re excited to begin work on our next project called The Living Dress. We’ll be producing 4 stunning, large-scale outdoor installations. This project will explore a very new process of creation (using new sustainable materials and processes) and of presentation, by creating a living dress, a time-limited outdoor art-work.

This is also a new process of reaching people for us, yet taps into and re-interprets traditional (and undervalued) patchwork and community textile traditions, with a focus on 100s of culturally under-served women in our local area. This mass participatory project has the potential to reach 10,000+ audiences, and we’ll be working with communities in Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, and Blackburn. We are beginning a new period of exploration and innovation in sustainability and Carnival arts practice, join us on our journey!