I believe that art projects grounded in global perspectives such as the ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ programme, expand student awareness and curiosity, which is essential in enabling change and cultivating active learners who engage with worldwide concerns. The finished outcome of this exhibition highlighted the issues that charity shop volunteers may face each day, represented as a triptych of white shirts that highlighted three significant truths of donated clothing: the memories embedded within fabric, how volunteers handle soiled clothing donations unfit for purpose, and the stories and experiences of the volunteers on the front line of charity donations dealing with our textile refuse. ‘The Sentimental Shirt’, ‘The Soiled Shirt’ and ‘The Stories Shirt’ endeavoured to create awareness around sustainability and the consumption and production of textiles within Ireland through the use of typography, embroidery and textile manipulation.
What Happens to the Clothes we Donate?
Teaching Placements
Coláiste Iosagáin, Booterstown, Co. Dublin
Coláiste Ráithín, Bray, Co. Wicklow