6 week Professional Development Course

Description

Introducing MATERIAL INNOVATION & CREATIVE ENTERPRISE; a six-week professional development course delivered by Creative Waves in partnership with Green VI as part of The Living Materials Lab. Bringing together design, ecology, science and business, the course is open to anyone interested in developing their creativity and exploring sustainable materials, product design and entrepreneurial opportunities. This opportunity may be of particular interest to recent graduates and creatively curious entrepreneurs, as well as those interested in product design, fashion and jewellery design, graphic design, fine art, environmental science, material research or developing a creative business. WHAT WILL YOU EXPLORE? You’ll experiment with local, natural and waste materials, learning how to test, adapt and develop them. Through observation, testing and making, you’ll identify new creative possibilities within familiar and often overlooked materials. You’ll take an idea from its earliest stages through sketches, material tests and prototypes to create a finished object or collection. You’ll also learn how to photograph, document and professionally present both your creative process and finished work. Alongside the practical development, you’ll consider who your work is for, how to communicate it and how your idea could grow into a product, brand or independent creative practice. Practical workshops will include algae leather, bio-jewellery, natural pigment dyeing, sargassum leather, papermaking and bioplastic making. COURSE PROGRAMME Week 1: Introduction, observation and idea generation Week 2: Product design, prototyping and iteration Week 3: Eggshell and shell-waste composites Week 4: Sargassum material development and bioplastics Week 5: Material specialism and final product development Week 6: Identity, promotion and exhibition preparation THE TEACHER The course is led by a recent Central Saint Martins graduate, Charlie Butterfield, an artist and designer working across biodesign, material innovation and field-based practice. INCLUDES All natural and waste materials, scientific materials, laboratory equipment, protective clothing, documentation and photographic and portfolio-development materials.