FORMING A REGENERATIVE CREATIVE NETWORK: How an Industry Project Focused on Human-Well Being United Students, Staff, Alumni, and Industry Across the University of East London.

Aim: To engage students, staff and industry in the formation of a research and design network to answer a sustainable KE brief set by Industry Partner UMBRO CHINA investigating Human Well-Being and Football Culture. Focussing on a Human-based approach to co-operative & network based research and design, the project sought to contribute to sustainable dialogues in the circular fashion system, uniting the creative departments at UEL and students with industry.

 

Methods: More than 150 students and staff from across the University including Fashion Design, Film, Games Design, Interior Design, Applied Sports and Exercise Science and Illustration & Animation worked in an interdisciplinary way supported by UEL's Sustainability Research Institute. Each step was mentored and Industry feedback given by the GM of UMBRO CHINA in Monthly sessions, and in-person visits. Designs explored a community-collaborative & human-centred approaches to design praxis, that went beyond materiality and use phases of fashion, towards an interrelated co-creation of sustainable fashion knowledges, that coalesced around a regenerative fashion archive.

 

The process had Film students as embedded collaborative researchers, co-creating the archive and recording the research evolution over 12 months as part of the KE outcomes. The film itself became an artefact of the design network.

 

Results:

• 10 Staff and Students travelled to Shanghai Fashion Week (Oct 2023) to present the research to industry, media and students. The travelling students were from Fashion, Film, Interior Design, and Animation & Illustration - collectively representing ACI and ACE.

• Installation of 'regenerative archive' at FUNTEEN show during Shanghai Fashion Week.

• Showcase of regenerative design work at UEL Stratford campus as part of 125 years celebration,

• 120 Million Followers reached with in excess of 20 million Impressions on Social Media in China.

• Project Winner 'Honorable Mention Award' at the Design Intelligence Awards hosted By Shanghai Academy of Art

• 3 students achieved paid work as outcomes of the project

• Highly engaged student body who learned industry level skills at a level to shape and change the future of contemporary practice.

• Enhancement of UEL staff networks

• Industry partner expressed wishing to develop closer ties with UEL and industry learning as part of KE.

 

Conclusion: By moving towards collaborative and cooperative creative networks, we are able engage and unite staff and students and place human well-being at the heart of teaching and learning, leading to enhanced outcomes on measures of KE, impact, visibility, student satisfaction, employability and entrepreneurship.