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Patrick Grant spoke at the recent Design for Planet Festival hosted by The Design Council at Manchester School of Art, part of Manchester Metropolitan University. As part of the festival, students hand-made a series of banners in the Lowry Building to welcome the incoming delegates and speakers and provide them with a ‘radical thought space’.
Opened by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Minnie Moll, Chief Executive of the Design Council—in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University — Patrick’s keynote, ‘Growing a regenerative design business,’ focused on the need for education about material quality and durable design and the creation of products that are good for both the planet and the people.
In the spirit of the festival, we donated over fourty boxes of fabric offcuts to the Manchester School of Art’s textile, fashion and graphic students who created a series of eight three-metre banners with eco design messages at their heart.
Third year Textiles in Practice student Martha Lawton said: “My banner took inspiration from ‘tumbling blocks’, a geometric pattern that has been repeated throughout generations and, to us, symbolised longevity.
“We created our own repeatable pattern made purely from the shapes of the fabric scraps. Our banner proves that what we consider to be waste can be repurposed into something as equally durable as the garments Community Clothing make. “
Other student banner designs included a nod to the font style of historical textile banners, an umbrella and child motif to represent safeguarding the future, and oversized footprints in reference to the fashion industry’s global footprint.
Patrick Grant spoke at the recent Design for Planet Festival hosted by The Design Council at Manchester School of Art, part of Manchester Metropolitan University. As part of the festival, students hand-made a series of banners in the Lowry Building to welcome the incoming delegates and speakers and provide them with a ‘radical thought space’.
Opened by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Minnie Moll, Chief Executive of the Design Council—in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University — Patrick’s keynote, ‘Growing a regenerative design business,’ focused on the need for education about material quality and durable design and the creation of products that are good for both the planet and the people.
In the spirit of the festival, we donated over fourty boxes of fabric offcuts to the Manchester School of Art’s textile, fashion and graphic students who created a series of eight three-metre banners with eco design messages at their heart.
Third year Textiles in Practice student Martha Lawton said: “My banner took inspiration from ‘tumbling blocks’, a geometric pattern that has been repeated throughout generations and, to us, symbolised longevity.
“We created our own repeatable pattern made purely from the shapes of the fabric scraps. Our banner proves that what we consider to be waste can be repurposed into something as equally durable as the garments Community Clothing make. “
Other student banner designs included a nod to the font style of historical textile banners, an umbrella and child motif to represent safeguarding the future, and oversized footprints in reference to the fashion industry’s global footprint.
Shelley McNulty, Head of Design at Manchester School of Art, added: “We were thrilled to partner with Patrick and his Community Clothing brand who are just as passionate about sustainability and circular economies as we are here at Manchester Met.
“Our students worked hard on these inspiring designs which look fantastic hanging in our Lowry Building, and which were admired by so many important delegates at the Design Council’s Design for Planet conference.
“This way of collaborative manual working echoes historical banner making and involves time, patience and skill – something that the design of Manchester School of Art has long been a part of, with its historical roots going back to 1838.
“It has been an inspiring and important project for students to be a part of, and it is great to work with Patrick, Community Clothing and the Design Council to help empower the next generation of designers with the skills they need to address the climate crisis.”
Patrick Grant added: “If we don’t understand quality ourselves, then we cannot make good choices. We have to teach craft – textiles, pottery, metal work – projects like this, and students such as these at Manchester Met are key examples of this.”
Senior Lecturer Rowanna Lacey Ewings from BA Textiles in Practice, who led the banners project, said: “When I was developing the brief for the project, I wanted to create a space that would not only showcase the students’ responses but also challenge and provoke the Design for Planet delegates and speakers, providing a ‘space’ to allow for ‘radical thought’.
“I was thrilled to hear the word ‘radical’ at several points throughout the day from various speakers. The whole project has been incredible to work on, with powerful yet positive messages from our students coming through the banners. “
Shelley McNulty, Head of Design at Manchester School of Art, added: “We were thrilled to partner with Patrick and his Community Clothing brand who are just as passionate about sustainability and circular economies as we are here at Manchester Met.
“Our students worked hard on these inspiring designs which look fantastic hanging in our Lowry Building, and which were admired by so many important delegates at the Design Council’s Design for Planet conference.
“This way of collaborative manual working echoes historical banner making and involves time, patience and skill – something that the design of Manchester School of Art has long been a part of, with its historical roots going back to 1838.
“It has been an inspiring and important project for students to be a part of, and it is great to work with Patrick, Community Clothing and the Design Council to help empower the next generation of designers with the skills they need to address the climate crisis.”
Patrick Grant added: “If we don’t understand quality ourselves, then we cannot make good choices. We have to teach craft – textiles, pottery, metal work – projects like this, and students such as these at Manchester Met are key examples of this.”
Senior Lecturer Rowanna Lacey Ewings from BA Textiles in Practice, who led the banners project, said: “When I was developing the brief for the project, I wanted to create a space that would not only showcase the students’ responses but also challenge and provoke the Design for Planet delegates and speakers, providing a ‘space’ to allow for ‘radical thought’.
“I was thrilled to hear the word ‘radical’ at several points throughout the day from various speakers. The whole project has been incredible to work on, with powerful yet positive messages from our students coming through the banners. “
