🐿 Short on time? Here's the nutshell...
Looking to the not so distance future, we are faced with a new kind of immersive design — an augmented reality app re-purposing digital structures into a gallery without walls. Speaking of reaching beyond walls, Somerset House is welcoming 400 trees into their courtyard, a comment on the mission to re-wild our cities and how design can change both our habitats, and our habits. In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we feature female led initiatives and platforms, delving into the “Call Your Girlfriend” podcast and the Think Food Bank project, a campaign using stickers to prompt people to contribute to the causes that count. We listen to the young voices opening up the conscious climate conversation, entering an inclusive and accepting realm of representation. We are looking to open up a wider conversation about the change we can action in our own small worlds, whilst giving us an opportunity to make meaningful and lasting impact. Join the conversation.
🔊 The Latest
This March we are asking what meaningful change looks like — how can we innovate in the age of change?
We're beginning a new project with The Future of Tourism coalition, working on conscious and responsible travel outcomes for destinations and businesses. Not only is it right up our alley, it's one for communities around the world and the wellbeing of our planet. In a similar fashion, we've been taking the time to think about the impact of our actions, particularly in the sustainable realm — you can catch Driftime co-founder Abb-d speaking alongside other industry pioneers discussing meaningful change here.
The Driftime® team.
When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.
Malala Yousafzai
Meet 18 climate activists challenging representation in the eco-change narrative.
Resistance and climate change activism begins with education, and ends with a generous dose of representative and radical political movement. Regenerative Travel presents us with a thoughtful insight into some of their visions, missions, and ambitions. Meet Pattie Gonia, a groundbreaking queer environmentalist challenging the heteronormative outdoor industry by "bringing drag and diversity outdoors", find Mya-Rose 'Birdgirl' Craig who's working to address the intersections in marginalised spaces with Black2Nature, a not-for-profit providing access to nature for youth from VME communities (Visible Minority Ethnic), and hear from Daphne Frias, who's speaking out about how the Latin American and disabled communities are under-represented in eco-activism. 18 innovative voices to listen to, platform, and uplift.
The podcast for long-distance friends all over the globe.
We have been listening to "Call Your Girlfriend" this month, the podcast that reaches across oceans to discuss the intricacies of politics, lifestyle, and culture, covering everything from food justice and the art of resistance, to transitions of power and those ever sensitive COVID conversations. Early March saw the "burnout" episode, a timely ode to how we so often take too much on with too little time. Ann and Aminatou remind us that we shouldn't have to sacrifice ourselves for work, instead asking us to use our networks to build systems of community, kindness, and support.
Es Devlin is going to fill Somerset House courtyard with 400 trees for the London Design Biennale.
The Forest for Change is part of a growing movement calling for our cities to be re-wilded, with the vibrant green spaces in our urbanised environments breathing a "vision of a better, fairer world" into the London Design Biennale. Somerset House was built with Enlightenment principles in mind which specifically forbade the introduction of trees in the courtyard. "Of course," Devlin comments, "the first thing we wanted to do was to counter this attitude of human dominance over nature", instead, she is bringing 23 varieties of trees native to the UK and Northern Europe to overtake the entire courtyard. Horticulturists, architects, artists, and bio-diverse technicians align to answer one key question; can design change our habits? Or could it just be our habitats? Let us know your thoughts.
The Think Food Bank project uses stickers to prompt people to contribute to the causes that count.
As an example of design destined for greatness, the Think Food Bank project places their guerrilla stickers in strategic spots to remind shoppers to contribute to their local food banks. Founders Maisie and Holly noticed that most donation stations are placed at the exits, making giving back into an after thought. In June 2020, the Trussell Trust reported that there had been an 89% increase in the need for emergency food parcels, a very present and urgent issue in this trying political climate. In their own words: let's stick together on this one.
🚀 Note Worthy
Sounds of the Forest
A collection the sounds from woodlands and forests from all around the world, creating a growing sound-map bringing together aural tones and textures from the world’s woodlands.
Happy Network
The digital media and social platform that curates honest, independent news on topics that directly affect your life.
A Framework for Investing in Equitable Communities
Our partners Ecotone have developed a tool called the Investment for Equitable Communities Framework to help evaluate this intersection of systems change and community outcomes based on social investment allocation in a given geography.