Sustainability Creation

The purpose of the “Sustainability Creation” project is to explore creative methods to educate and develop new perspectives on SCP using art and design. The University course is a starting point with an aim to reach and communicate the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) issues to the public as well as to the students involved in new ways. It is part of the ongoing work of implementing sustainable development principles at different levels within the academia in a more systemic manner with a focus on SCP. Sustainability Creation is a collaboration between Mälardalen University (MDH), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Swedish 10YFP reference group and the City of Umeå. The project was initiated by Andrea Hvistendahl, lecturer in Spatial Design (MDH), with a background as a visual artist, focusing on different aspects of globalization, environmental challenges and social inequality. She was also a member of the 10YFP national reference group in Sweden. The Sustainability Creation project is constructed as a triangle; with higher education, sustainability action and creative idea generation. This allowed students to elaborate on the topic Lifestyle in connection to Sustainable Consumption and Production and at the same time raising awareness on the theme. The students were encouraged to use associative intuitive ways to explore communication and idea-generation, often used in art. They developed physical representations / artefacts /art objects as well as models for room-installations. As they questioned their personal consumption patterns and nurtured their engagement their work got connected to them as individuals. The students used exploratory creative methods that have their origin in artistic experience, to develop their own understandings and deliver not just hard-core facts but also, emotions, humour and curiosity whiles actively using hands, eyes, memory and mind in the process. Students exhibited their work at The National Laboratory on Sustainable Lifestyles Conference in November 2017 in Umeå, Sweden. Hvistendahl brought a selection of the exhibition to be part of the Swedish and Norwegian Events connected to the UN High Level Political Forum Conference 12 & 13 July New York. Reactions from the public were very positive and feather developments are to be expected. Many students asked themselves the question how they could contribute to a sustainability conference. They felt that investigating and visualizing their own relationship and part of the consumption system, as 20-35-year-old students in a privileged part of the world, was an honest and relevant angle. This created an internal discussion as a starting point for a change of mindset and behaviour making them better equipped to bring and handle the SCP questions in their future on both a private and professional level. During the project seeds were planted with the students as well as with the University and the public at different places. Sustainable Creation is an ongoing contribution to a contemporary reflection and communication on SCP topic, with the eyes of the generation to come. We welcome further cooperation’s. (The catalogue). https://www.naturvardsverket.se/Om-Naturvardsverket/Publikationer/ISBN/8700/978-91-620-8796-8/ A new course on the subject started September 2018, this year with a focus on textile, clothing & fashion. We welcome further cooperations.