Location: Viljandi, Estonia
Participants:
University of Arts London - Elisa Palomino
In collaboration with traditional tanning specialist Lotta Rahme, Elisa presented on Studying Traditional Crafts: Goals and Methods in Higher Education.
The delivery was a material-based exploration looking at the role of fish skin in sustainable design practice, developing models of socially responsive design innovation and knowledge transfer. The research looked at the geographical use of fish skin material in circumpolar cultures. The aim is to explore how fish skin artisanship through participatory design practices can explore fashion for social cohesion through the partnership of tradition with contemporary design from higher education students. There is also a desire for reviving technologies of the past as well as for securing the transfer of indigenous knowledge systems related to fish skin processing.
The presentation described the workshops developing methods of tanning fish skin and producing fish skin material samples in areas where traditionally fish skin was developed, where experienced fish skin craftspeople have passed down the endangered Arctic fish skin craft to the next generation of students from universities in the circumpolar area (Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Hokkaido, Japan, northeast China and Alaska) as part of the sustainable fashion higher education program. The methods of sustainable material engagement and the full immersive experience through a teaching-in-the field approach are recommended as transferable skills for educational models. The workshops demonstrate how relevant the Indigenous fish skin knowledge - in partnership with sustainable design strategies - can connect people to their culture, communities and the environment.
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Participants:
University of Arts London - Elisa Palomino
Kyoto Seika University - Mitsushiro Kokita, Yuji Yonehara
We—The Future Seen Through Craft symposium by our partners, Kyoto Seika University’s Center for Innovation in Traditional Industries, was hosted by Kyoto International Manga Museum. Together with practitioners in the field of craft, FishSkin project researchers
Elisa Palomino and Mitsuhiro Kokita led important discussion on social issues such as ethical consumption, ecology and labor conditions in the context of handcrafts.
Location: Rovaniemi, Finland
Participants:
University of Arts London - Elisa Palomino
Iceland University of the Arts - Katrín Káradóttir
The Cumulus conference took place at Rovaniemi, Finland as part of the Arctic and Sustainable Art and Design session.
FISHSkin researchers Elisa Palomino and Katrín Káradóttir together with Lotta Rahme (Lottas tannery, Sweden) and Joseph Boon (The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, UK) delivered the lecture Indigenous Arctic Fish skin clothing traditions: Cultural and ecological impacts on Fashion Higher Education as part of “Around the Campfire - Resilience and Intelligence" conference.
The presentation described the fish skin workshop delivered at the world’s biggest fish skin tannery – Atlantic Leather in Iceland – where an experienced Swedish craftsperson passed down the endangered Arctic fish skin craft to the next generation of Nordic students from universities in the circumpolar area (Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland) and UK, part of the sustainable fashion higher education program.
The students mapped their creative journey, explored the rich cultural background around fish skin in the Arctic and created a collection of fish skin samples with the help and guidance by the fish skin experts.
“Around the Campfire - Resilience and Intelligence" conference discussed especially the topic of resilience. What are the means, medium and methodologies of art, design and media in contributing to the adaptability and novel innovation in coping with everyday life, geographical extremes and societal challenges? How are the topics of sustainability and resilience interconnected and interwoven? The discussion is complemented by intelligence that is visible through design applications that embrace smart, green and social innovation.
Outcomes:
www.cumulusrovaniemi2019.org