Textile river set to flow through Wandsworth in Weaving Out Waste exhibition

Once open, members of the public are invited to explore the textile exhibition and get creative themselves in a series of free drop-in workshops with local artists, using different recycled materials to explore the topic of textile waste.

Led by Royal College of Art Fashion Design graduate and artist Caroline Lauvetz, the project is inspired by Wandsworth's rich history of textile manufacturing along the Wandle River. Over 30 Wandsworth Primary teachers have come together and joined Caroline for a series of training sessions to learn weaving techniques to enable them to support their pupils from years 4 and 5 with creating their very own textile artworks.

The children, with support from their teachers, have practiced weaving techniques on Wandsworth-sourced reclaimed fabrics to create an individual and unique piece of cloth. Each participating pupil's upcycled, woven cloth will then be joined together to create the textile river, which will flow through the exhibition space, referencing the Wandle's historic use of textile manufacturing and the current polluted rivers worldwide. Through the project, pupils are learning about the life cycle of a garment to understand the environmental impact of the current industrial systems in the fashion industry, and sustainable methods of consuming and manufacturing clothing.

Primary school teachers at a Weaving Out Waste training session

Weaving Out Waste is part of Wandsworth Council’s work to engage with young people around climate change and make the borough more sustainable. Next week, Wandsworth will hear the results of its bid to become London Borough of Culture, if successful we hope this will allow us to build on the power of culture to connect people, raise climate awareness and improve wellbeing.

Weaving Out Waste is facilitated by Wandsworth Council and the Royal College of Art, supported by TRAID and hosted by Southside Shopping Centre. 

Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Through creating their own tiny piece of the Weaving Out Waste river, each one of the hundreds of young people taking part has considered the life cycle of the garment and the environmental impact of textile waste. We want to take everyone on our journey to tackle climate change and make Wandsworth more sustainable, and engaging children is crucial to this.”

Pieter Strömbeck, Centre Director at Southside Shopping Centre, commented: “We’re thrilled to be working with Wandsworth Council and host the Weaving Out Waste exhibition at Southside. Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration for the fashion and retail industry, and the installation not only highlights the importance of sustainability and recycling of fabric products, but also Wandsworth’s historic textile community and the impact of pollution on rivers worldwide."

Full Weaving Out Waste exhibition opening times at Southside Shopping Centre and workshop dates and times will be shared here