Three art and design students from Gloucestershire College (Royal Forest of Dean campus) have had their work recognised following a collaborative project between the college’s art department and officers from the Joint Waste Team based at the Forest of Dean District Council.
The project focused on the theme of cotton, case exploring its history and manufacture but also addressed sustainability and environmental issues, prescription including the reuse and recycling of cotton fabric.
As part of their brief, ed the first-year students had to submit sketchbooks as well as a final piece of applique artwork – whereby fabric is layered and stitched to create a decorative effect – which demonstrated their practical skills and also ‘told a story’ about the origins of cotton production.
Three students – Tom Claridge, Amy Edwards and Rhiannon Jones – were judged to have produced highly individual pieces which demonstrated a range of sewing techniques and which were executed to a high finish. Each received a prize in recognition of their work from the District Council.
Gloucestershire College Art and Design lecturer Gail Reeve-Jones said: ‘The students have worked hard on producing some really outstanding pieces which will go towards their year-end assessments and it has been fantastic to see their different interpretation of the subject matter. As well as learning about British textile designers Tracey Emin and Alice Kettle, students were introduced to the environmental issues associated with cotton – and more widely textiles as a whole – which run across the supply chain. Not only have students been keen to explore these wider issues but have taken inspiration from them too.’
Councillor Marrilyn Smart, Cabinet Member for the Environment at the District Council, who presented the winners with their prizes, said: ‘Officers from the Joint Waste Team at the Council have been working with the college’s art department for a number of years now to promote textile reuse and recycling and we have been delighted to be asked again this year. Textiles is one of the fastest growing waste materials and with some 2 million tonnes being purchased in the UK each year, it is disappointing that almost three quarters will still end up in landfill sites. We hope this project and others like it will help educate young people in the importance of textile reuse and recycling.’
A collection of the students’ artwork is currently on display in the main reception area at the Council’s offices in Coleford.
For more information about clothes recycling, including projects to revitalise old clothes and how to care for clothes to make them look better for longer, visit www.loveyourclothes.org.uk.
Residents wishing to recycle their old clothing and textiles can do so using the local recycling banks located across the district. For a list of sites visit www.fdean.gov.uk or call 01594 810000.