Footprints Virtual Exhibition and Talks now available online

The world has changed immeasurably in the last year, and the threat to the planet caused by climate change is increasing. The climate crisis affects all of us, old and young, but we can make decisions as individuals and as a society to fight climate change before it is too late.

In January, the museum launched Footprints – a new digital festival with a series of talks and events about climate change and sustainability. As part of the festival, an open call was made to young artists in Wales to contribute to a virtual exhibition with work on the themes of protest, sustainability or climate change. This exhibition is now visible here: artsteps | Arddangosfa Rithwir Olion - Footprints Virtual Exhibition

Click on the works to learn more about the artists and what inspired them, then go to http://doo.vote/footprintsexhibition to vote for your favourite. The closing date to vote is February 28^th, and the winner will receive a prize.

The live talks from the festival are now available on the Amgueddfa Cymru youtube channel. These are the talks available:

Sustainable Homes Past, Present and Future – 20 years since opening the ‘House for the Future’

In 2001, the ‘House for the Future’ opened at the Museum for Welsh Life, St Fagans. This pioneering building was the result of collaboration between the museum and Jestico + Whiles Architects to create a sustainable home that predicted the standard of housing in Wales by 2050. Twenty years have since passed, so join our panel to hear them discuss the relevance of the ‘House for the Future’ by today, how the collaboration was inspired by the historic buildings in St Fagans, and exciting developments in sustainable housing and sustainable energy for the future.

Panel

Talulah Thomas (chair) – Amgueddfa Cymru Producer

Dafydd Wiliam – Principal Curator, Historic Buildings

Elinor Gray-Williams – Architect, PEGWArchitects

Grant Peisley – DEG Cymru

Meilyr Tomos – Y Dref Werdd

This is a Welsh language talk, with a simultaneously translated version also available.

Welsh: Olion-Footprints 2021: Cartrefi Cynaliadwy Ddoe, Heddiw ac Yfory CYMRAEG - YouTube

With English translation: Olion-Footprints 2021: Sustainable Homes Past Present and Future WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION - YouTube

Farewell to Fast Fashion

The fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter after the oil industry, and fabric production is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution annually. In the UK we buy more clothes annually per person than any country in Europe, and around 300,000 tonnes of used clothes are burned or buried in landfill every year. It’s clear that we have a problem with fast fashion, but how do we move on from this?

Our panel discuss the key issues surrounding fast fashion, the steps we can take as individuals, and how we can hold brands to account. What is greenwashing? What are clothing brands in Wales doing to be more sustainable? How can we break our addiction to buying new and make the most of the clothes we already have? Listen in to find out!

Panel

Izzy Mcleod (Chair) – Amgueddfa Cymru Producer, blogger at themuccycloud.com

Imogen Ferda-Riley – founder, Clecs Cymru sustainable clothing brand

Elen Mai – sustainability blogger welshwanderer.com

Ophelia Dos Santos – textile artist

This is an English talk and can be viewed here: Olion-Footprints 2021: Ffarwelio â Ffasiwn Brys Farewell to Fast Fashion - YouTube

Love Food Hate Waste: Towards a Sustainable Food Future

UK households waste 4.5 million tonnes of edible food each year, and if global food waste were a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US. Many projects and initiatives in Wales are working together towards a sustainable food future, and reducing food waste is an important first step on this journey.

Join our panel as they discuss why reducing food waste is important and what we can do about it, the importance of seasonality and the local food economy, as well as wider issues around food sustainability across Wales and beyond.

Panel

Pearl Costello (chair) – sustainability consultant

Margaret Ogunbanwo – founder, Maggie’s African Twist, author

Dan Hunt – owner, ‘The Sustainable Weigh’ shop

Becca Clark – Green Squirrel

This is an English talk and available here: Olion-Footprints 2021: Caru Bwyd Casau Gwastraff Love Food Hate Waste - YouTube