Two postgraduate Course Leaders from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) hosted events as part of a wide and varied programme at Dorset’s second community-led ‘conference of the parties’ – Dorset COP.
The event took place at our neighbouring Bournemouth University on Saturday 2 November, and has been heralded as a success as hundreds of people from the community assembled to combat climate change on a local level.
Penelope Norman, Course Leader for MA Digital Fashion Innovation, was one of many inspirational speakers at a Fashion Assembly asking, ‘What should people in Dorset do to combat the unsustainable fashion industry and what support do they need?'
“The Fashion Assembly was brilliant," Penelope comments. "After listening to the speakers, we broke into smaller groups, facilitated by the MA Digital Fashion Innovation students, to workshop ideas for making fashion more sustainable. We reflected on both personal habits and broader issues like overconsumption.
“From connecting local textile growers and makers, to fostering a culture of repair and clothes swapping, and supporting local charities like The Wardrobe Foundation, which repurposes high-street dead stock, the ideas were inspiring and actionable. It was incredible to see different generations learning from and teaching each other, underscoring the vital role of social impact in driving meaningful change in our community.”
Meanwhile, Dr Kevan Manwaring, who leads the MA Creative Writing (online) course, hosted a session on ‘The Nature of Literature: the ecology of language in place, print, and community', in which he shared research from his recent monograph, Writing Ecofiction: navigating the challenges of environmental narrative.
Kevan explains, “I led a walking and writing wellbeing project based in West Dorset in 2023, and from this, I explored how the written and spoken word can raise awareness about environmental issues while empowering people and re-enchanting the landscape.
“We also looked at a range of poets and novelists, such as Thomas Hardy, Alice Oswald, John Cowper Powys, John Clare, and asked how writing, reading, and publishing can be ecological acts. We had some great input and some really interesting thoughts and ideas on how we can use literature to help combat climate change.”
The annual one-day event closed with a fast-paced, uplifting round-up of the day’s activities as workshop leads, keynote speakers and local leaders shared what’s been learned from each session, what actions are being taken away and how we can keep up the momentum gained during the day.
Mark Chivers, co-founder of Zero Carbon Dorset, closed the day saying, “We saw in Spain why preventing further climate change is such an urgent issue. We can’t stand idly by while climate change injustice is rampant. We need our politicians to act now.
“Today, we came, we saw, we imagined. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by everyone at the event, to find ways to act at the local level, demonstrates how the power of community can also make real changes from the ground up. The power of community is so strong and it’s up to all of us to make sure we mobilise and protect the environment for ourselves and the next generation.”
