Anna Stavreva

Through material exploration, the use of ‘waste’, and bringing together natural and human-made, “Embedding Craft into the Curriculum” lives in the tension between the Climate emergency and a developing curriculum that plans to become the world-leader in climate change and sustainability education by 2030 according to the UK Department for Education (2023). This project aims to introduce concepts such as resourcefulness, material literacy (understanding the life cycle as well as context of a material through the use of overlooked wood and ‘waste’ plastics and the agency and well-being that Craft and making provide.

With influence from John Ruskin and the Arts and Crafts Movement as well as design philosopher Tony Fry’s concept of ‘futuring’ through which design makes the world around us and therefore the future, I introduce an optimistic view of all materials through 3 strands with differing prioritisations, making the case for Craft education during the Climate Emergency and beyond.