Futurescan 5: Conscious Communites - Abstracts and Biographies

  Futurescan 5: Conscious Communities 

7th – 8th September 2022

University of Leeds, UK

The challenges of recent years have brought about significant changes to fashion and textiles education, research and industry practices. Environmental, societal, ethical, cultural and political change, technological and material innovations, decolonisation, diversity and inclusivity have proliferated thinking, making and production. In addition, the devaluing of creative subjects in schools, further education and higher education changes and funding cuts continue to impact. Industry requires and values skills from specialist fashion and textiles training, however, there is scope to increase the visibility of the breadth of career opportunities for graduates. Evidencing the value of fashion and textiles education beyond the higher education sector and engaging wider society have become key agendas. Working collectively and collaboratively brings new opportunities for investigation surrounding fashion and textiles.

Futurescan 5: Conscious Communities, by the Association of Fashion & Textile Courses (FTC) conference invited submissions from established and early career researchers, postgraduates, practitioners, makers, designers and educators regarding completed projects or work in progress. The conference provided a forum for the dissemination of research, creative practice and pedagogy surrounding fashion and textiles. Submissions were encouraged that discussed, challenged and provoked debate in connection to one or more of the following themes:

ENVIRONMENTAL + RESILIENT COMMUNITIES

Disruption, climate emergency, sustainability, responses to the pandemic, health and wellbeing.

SOCIETAL + POLITICAL COMMUNITIES

Intersectionality, decolonisation, identity, morality, marginalisation, activism and social design.

CULTURAL + ETHICAL COMMUNITIES

Heritage, museums and archives, engagement, inclusivity, diversity and ethical production.

TECHNOLOGICAL + MATERIAL COMMUNITIES

Digital visions and innovations, immateriality versus materiality, handcraft, haptic and tactile.

COLLABORATIVE + PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITIES

Cooperation, co-creation, co-design, making spaces, interdisciplinarity or cross-disciplinary.

Submissions 

Contributors choose from the submission formats: Full Paper, Short Paper, Poster or Exhibit.