Young Green Maker Initiative
Run your own sustainable fashion accessory brand!
We’re looking for 13 - 17 year olds who have an interest in fashion and design.
Application Deadline: Sunday 14 April 2024, 7pm
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own your own company? All the things you’d have to work your way through…the designs, the manufacturing, the customers, the social media! Running your own creative product company embodies many different job roles and includes lots of different skills and knowledge, all the way from sourcing the fabrics to having it displayed in a shop or gallery space.
Led by two professional up-cycling designer/makers, this 5-week course (taking place on Saturdays) will take you through all of the processes needed to form a professional company. You’ll be working alongside peers to come up with an upcycled textile product range, along with all the marketing and branding needed to launch it. Think army surplus bum bags, plant hangers made from bright orange webbing and camo print hair scrunchies; a lovely tag hanging from a beautifully made product; lots of strong images on the social channels, and a display in a shop.
The end product range will be sold in our MAKE Southwest shop in Bovey Tracey - all profits from the sales will go back into the Charity and help us provide more free craft education (MAKE Southwest registered charity no. 296568).
The important stuff!
When
Saturday 20 April 2024, 10am - 2.30pm
Saturday 27 April 2024, 10am - 2.30pm
Saturday 04 May 2024, 10am - 2.30pm
Saturday 11 May 2024, 10am - 2.30pm
Saturday 18 May 2024, 10am - 2.30pm
Where
Heathfield Youth Cabins,
Cannon Road,
Heathfield
Who
Maximum 12 participants
Age 13 - 17
Outcomes
Social Skills
You will gain confidence and broaden your social skills by learning a practical skill and making valuable use of your time.
Socialising with peers of different ages and with tutors who aren’t your schoolteachers, you will strengthen your communication and interpersonal skills.
Practical Skills
You will develop hands on craft skills, learning how to design and make a product range and how to use a sewing machine.
Alongside the knowledge and skills learnt to upcycle and mend.
You will also gain some basic business skills like how to create a brand, price your work and market a business.
Participation documents
All participants will receive a personalised letter of recommendation and a certificate of participation.
These can be used as supporting documentation for job, college and university applications.
About the tutors
byAliceWood
Alice is a bag and accessories designer and maker, based in Plymouth.
She has two main collections of work. One using Italian veg tanned leather that is sustainably produced, using traditional low impact methods that don't use harmful chemicals. Alice creates a collection of simple and elegant bags and accessories in a wide variety of colours that are made to be used and loved.
Her second collection uses reclaimed, locally sourced, waste textiles, to make a broad range bags and accessories. All of the materials, are in limited amounts and this creates a collection that is constantly evolving as the materials change. Alice really enjoys working with the different qualities, colours and textures to design her new products.
Mukta-Undone
Mukta-Undone is a up-cycle fashion brand created by Abby.
It is Abby’s aim to encourage sustainable fashion making, consumption and thinking ways through workshops and fashion events within the community.
Abby runs workshops, mends clothing and creates amazing one-off garments from up-cycled materials in small-scale production.
Make Space CIC
Make Space was created by Alice and Abby, who met while studying at Art University Plymouth.
They share an interest in bringing Crafts and Making back to the high street, into a position which makes it accessible to the general public.
The CIC is set up to engage with local crafts people, offering affordable workshops and direct interaction with the people that want and need the items they make. Also focusing on the benefits to the mental health of our community and the sustainability of small scale local production.
About the Green Maker Initiative
Photo by Dom Moore
MAKE Southwest’s Green Maker Initiative (GMI) was launched in September 2021 to support makers and creative organisations in the Southwest dedicated to reducing their environmental impact.
Makers are asked to sign a pledge to actively reduce their environmental impact in their creative business and provide an informal annual report on how they are doing this.
In return, we run networking events, professional development workshops, sustainable craft fairs, and provide access to resources, promotional opportunities and paid opportunities.
What to expect
We’ve compiled a rough timetable of what you can expect for the duration of the course - click on images below.
Materials donated by Bogey Knights.
Sewing machines supplied by Janome.
Does this sound like you?
This course is completely FREE, we only require your commitment to all 5 workshop days.
If you can answer YES to all of these questions, we want to hear from you!
Are you aged 13 - 17?
Are you interested in fashion, design, textiles, sewing, marketing or making?
Can you commit to all 5 Saturdays?
Application Deadline: Sunday 14 April 2024, 7pm
If you have any questions, please email hannah@makesouthwest.org.uk
The Naturesave Trust is funded by the activities of Naturesave Insurance, the UK’s leading ethical insurance provider for individuals, businesses, charities and community groups.