Resource-sharing
& the circular economy at the V&A.
Zoë Louizos, Exhibitions Manager
Friday 7th February 2020 National Army Museum
Zoë Louizos, Exhibitions Manager
Friday 7th February 2020 National Army Museum
As we face a climate emergency, it is increasingly
recognised that museums can play a crucial role in engaging and empowering
people to challenge current practice. As a museum of art and design, the
V&A strongly feel that these issues can, and should, be tackled creatively.
Zoë Louizos, from the V&A, came to talk about different
ways to tackle the disposal of exhibition waste products; a problem that we all
face on a regular basis due the current throwaway nature of exhibition design.
At the V&A there has been a positive move to try and share
resources, which would otherwise be disposed of, with those in need who
wouldn’t normally be able to access these materials.
Smaller examples include:
·
Giving terrariums to schools
·
Sending textile waste to a women’s refuge where
it can be used to create products for sale
·
Donating scenery flats to festivals
·
Gifting plinths, perspex hoods and cradles to
small local museums
However, it’s their surplus crates that have provided the
V&A with the most scope for creative re-purposing:
·
Beehives on the roof of the museum
·
Used for DT projects in schools
·
Building materials for adventure playgrounds
And for two major projects:
In 2019 the V&A collaborated with the 999 Club, an
advice & support service and night shelter for the homeless, to upcycle
crates into furniture. Eight people, who had previously been homeless, were
paired with designers to create a piece of furniture that they could use when
they were able to move on from the 999 Club to new, temporary accommodation.
The completed pieces of furniture, which included a sewing table, writing
bureau, bench with shelving and a bed, were displayed at the London Design
Festival.
As part of the Day of Design event, which focussed on design solutions to the climate emergency,
an open call was sent out for designers to create a range of furniture suitable
for community dining, to be used for a Food Waste Feast where a buffet
banquet was created from surplus ingredients. Over 300 people were fed down in
the Transport for London underpass. Following the event, the furniture was
donated to People’s Kitchen to create a community hub and café.
Even if you can’t quite match what the V&A are doing, there are smaller ways that we can all start to make changes; the V&A have formed an environmental steering group, with green champions in departments across the museum, and they have nearly reached full representation of all teams.
Some small internal initiatives have started to make a
difference:
·
Giving out keep-cups to staff to reduce waste
·
Using recycled and recyclable materials as much
as possible
·
Reducing their paper use by 9% so far
·
Promoting online platforms for data sharing
rather than distributing paper copies
Looking to the future, the V&A are continuing to explore
creative ways to dispose of their waste products and hope to be able to share
their experience and knowledge to help others follow their lead.
Abi Pole, Exhibitions Manager, Compton Verney Art Gallery
& Park