Sustainable Young Makers #2 is Wrapped
Last night’s our Sustainable Young Makers showcase event event hit me like a brainstorm of hope and possibility. The room crackled with energy, proof that the next generation of makers, designers and artists aren’t just full of ideas; they’re itching to turn them into reality.
credit_ Marcin-Novak
Ideas in overdrive (but under-supported)
You could feel the excitement: young creators swapping tips on plant-based polymers and 3D-printed upcycled plastics, sketchbooks spilling over with bold questions about our throw-away culture. But beneath that buzz, there was an undercurrent of frustration: they’ve got ambition, values and raw talent, but they need resources—workspaces, funding, visibility—to build practices that stick.
Experimentation, community and new norms
Here’s where it gets exciting. We saw teams hacking discarded textiles into architectural-scale installations. I watched conversations bloom around fair-trade material sourcing and digital platforms for swapping surplus supplies. These young innovators aren’t just tinkering, they’re questioning the very norms of consumption and production, layering in community, ethics and long-term thinking.
Imagine a world where every store-bought item comes with a “story of its making” and a local network to repair or repurpose it. Last night’s buzz was a roadmap to how we might get there.
credit_ Marcin-Novak
Championing emerging voices
So, how do we keep this momentum roaring?
Give them space. We need more accessible workshops and studios. Places where ideas can go from napkin sketch to functioning prototype without bankrupting the creator.
Shout them out. Visibility isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. Let’s spotlight their work in galleries, online platforms and media outlets hungry for fresh voices.
Fuel their practice. Grants, micro-loans and material-swap programs aren’t charity, they’re investments in our collective future.
credit_ Marcin-Novak
Thank you to the makers and supporters
A massive shout-out to the young makers who blew our minds with their work:
@looplyuk, @state.of.grace, @halenatron, @harveystillwell, @wetbluestudio, @piarve
—and to our incredible weavers @anisahyaminah, @nowshinprenon, @tanjinadesigns.
Big thanks to our supporters The Trampery and Segro for backing our programme, and to every supporter who showed up last night. Your ideas, your energy and your belief in these makers mean everything.
Let’s keep pushing, questioning and creating. Because the future isn’t waiting, and neither are they.
credit_ Marcin-Novak