Roughwood primary school has always been very conscious about responsible consumption. It seemed only natural that, when teamed with social entrepreneur Natasha from Generation Generous, they had an instant connection and started doing recycled bags with old clothes.
Their new NEMESIS project is called Forever Fashion, and it is an attempt to address issues of disposable, fast fashion where we don’t hang on to items for very long. It’s a concerted effort and ongoing discussion on how can they make good use of unwanted clothes to prolong their life.
Both their Y4 classes -58 students aged 8 and 9 years old- are participating in the project with their ideas and enthusiasm. Six of them are also included in the co-creation labs with parents, teachers and other members of the community.
Up to now, community have decided to hold a clothing exchange to reduce the number of items that are thrown away when the current owner no longer has a need for them. There will also be a mini fashion show and photographs of staff members wearing hand-me-downs and second-hand clothing with pride, as there is currently stigma attached to wearing older clothing. The parents and children will be encouraged to bring in a bag of unwanted clothing (to be sorted onto rails), then refill their bag with whatever they choose!
The final idea? That ‘Forever Fashion’ has a legacy that lasts indefinitely and can be repeated regularly with different children taking the lead.
Visit the school webpage on NEMESIS
Visit the cluster webpage for NEMESIS (projects from each of the Willow Tree Academy schools)
Location
Rotherham. South Yorkshire (UK)
Number of students
58 students aged 8 and 9 years old
Members of the co-creation lab
Students’ representatives
Parents
Teachers