Join Creative Youth Network artist Pearl Oakwood to explore the environmental and social impact of fast fashion through the lens of traditional craft, inspired by Emma Talbot: Everything is Energy.

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn basic carpet weaving techniques to create a small coaster using recycled and donated textiles, while sharing personal stories connected to clothing. Reflect on the value of garments, consider what sustainability means to you, and discover how slow, mindful practices like weaving can offer a creative form of resistance to overconsumption.

This is event is in partnership with Creative Youth Network and Arnolfini’s Green Team.  

About Arnolfini’s Green Team:

The Arnolfini Green Team consists of a group of staff members from across the organisation working together to make Arnolfini a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly place to visit. They work across projects to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint and waste and raise environmental awareness with Arnolfini’s staff and visitors. Their work is a key part of Arnolfini’s commitment to sustainability and making a positive environmental impact.

About Creative Youth Network:

Creative Youth Network enables young people, no matter what their background or circumstances, to reach their own potential. The Creative Futures programme is for 16–25-year-olds and believes that every young artist should have the opportunity to get the support they need to achieve their professional aspirations. Creative Youth Network are committed to creating a more representative creative workforce for the future, helping young people facing barriers to breaking into the creative industries.

About the Artist:

My creative process is multidisciplinary and grounded in lived experience. I work with what’s around me, often found materials, many of which carry emotional or symbolic weight. This has included installation, photography, film, textiles, drawing and text. Some of my most formative work began while I was detained. With limited access to tools, I had only charcoal and paper. Those restrictions shaped how I create: I learned to work with constraint, to make interventions using whatever was available.

My practice is both expressive and critical. I use art to navigate the world around me, to process trauma, and to challenge systems that silence or marginalise people like me. Each piece is an act of reclaiming space; whether that’s through installation, performance, or visual work, and often aims to raise awareness of mental health stigma, institutionalisation, and recovery. Creating isn't just something I do. It’s how I survive, reflect, and connect.

Please pay what you can.

Although this workshop is drop-in, we recommend booking a place in advance.

All ages are welcome, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Entry requirements: no age restrictions (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult over 21yrs, 1:1 ratio) — Read more — Read less