We’re delighted to share the following workshop offerings, completely free of charge. They are part of the Creative Communities on a Shared Island initiative between Waterford City and County Council and Mid and East Borough Council and funded through Creative Ireland.
Please see below for workshop details – to sign up or to ask any further questions contact creativewaterford@waterfordcouncil.ie.
Future Fashion with Aileen Drohan
January 23rd at 3.15pm (half day workshop)
Location: WCQ Place: Community and Cultural Hub, 17 O’Connell Street, Waterford.
The workshop offers a forward-thinking look at the future of fashion and textiles, with a focus on sustainability and technological innovation. We’ll delve into the current challenges in the industry, from the environmental impact of fast fashion to emerging technologies like electronic textiles. E-textiles are innovative fabrics integrated with electronics, enabling them to perform new functions, such as for sensing or interacting with the environment, sports/fitness tracking and personal healthcare monitoring.
The workshop will be delivered by the e-textiles lab, Walton Institute (SETU). Aileen Drohan will engage you in critically evaluating how fashion will evolve? Can the industry become truly sustainable? What role will technology play? Best of all workshop participants will gain hands on experience on how to sew an e-textile circuit to fabric working with conductive thread and wearable technology.
Pathways for Positive Change in the Textile Industry with Nuala Browne Treacy
January 30th at 3.15pm
Location: WCQ Place: Community and Cultural Hub, 17 O’Connell Street, Waterford.
This workshop will explore the principles of the Circular Economy of textiles, highlighting projects focused on recycling, renewal, resharing, and regeneration. It will also delve into commercially successful case studies, incorporating insights from third-party initiatives that illustrate the advantages of circular economy practices, such as waste reduction, resource efficiency, cost savings, and long-term sustainability within the fashion and textile industries.
Weaving Into Wellness Workshop with Lucy Hyland
February 6th at 3.15pm
Location: WCQ Place: Community and Cultural Hub, 17 O’Connell Street, Waterford.
Join us for Weaving Into Wellness, a workshop designed specifically for artists and creatives working with textiles within the Waterford area. The aim of the session is to explore how we might sustain our own creative and wellbeing practices whilst fostering a sense of community and collaboration. We’ll thread together these ideas and ideals through using upcycled and natural materials and wools, whilst being introduced to the foundational art of weaving. Through incorporating mindfulness into weaving, we’ll discover how rhythm and repetition can calm the mind, build connection and bring clarity to your practice. This workshop offers both a creative outlet and a space for reflection, leaving you with a deeper understanding of how to weave intentional support into your life and work as a creative professional.
What are you waiting for? Weave some creativity into your life in 2025 and learn something new about our exciting textiles scene in Waterford. Places are extremely limited and we anticipate a high demand for these workshops – email creativewaterford@waterfordcouncil.ie to secure your place.