Weaving Out Waste Exhibition

A flowing textile river, woven with recycled materials by hundreds of school children from 32 Wandsworth primary schools, will be exhibited at Southside Shopping Centre from Thursday 18 April until Wednesday 8 May.

Led by Royal College of Art Fashion Design graduate and artist Caroline Lauvetz, the project is inspired by Wandsworth's rich history of textile manufacturing along the Wandle River.

Over 30 Wandsworth Primary teachers have come together and joined Caroline for a series of training sessions to learn weaving techniques to enable them to support their pupils from years 4 and 5 with creating their very own textile artworks.

The children, with support from their teachers, have practiced weaving techniques on Wandsworth-sourced reclaimed fabrics to create an individual and unique piece of cloth.

Each participating pupil's upcycled, woven cloth will then be joined together to create the textile river, which will flow through the exhibition space, referencing the Wandle's historic use of textile manufacturing and the current polluted rivers worldwide.

Through the project, pupils are learning about the life cycle of a garment to understand the environmental impact of the current industrial systems in the fashion industry, and sustainable methods of consuming and manufacturing clothing.

Members of the public are invited to explore the textile exhibition and get creative themselves in a series of free drop-in workshops with local artists, using different recycled materials to explore the topic of textile waste.

Weaving Out Waste is part of Wandsworth Council’s work to engage with young people around climate change and make the borough more sustainable. The exhibition is facilitated by Wandsworth Council and the Royal College of Art, supported by TRAID and hosted by Southside Shopping Centre.

Full Weaving Out Waste exhibition opening times at Southside Shopping Centre and workshop dates and times will be available here.