Proposal by: Viviana M. Calderon de la Barca

Inclusive Patching.

Project proposal: Textile & Sustainability

It's not news. We're running out of time to save our natural world and resources. So this two in one, workshops + inclusive and diverse get togethers, aim to be informa(c)tive and inspiring to spread the hope that we could do more.

During our time together we'll be guided by designers and professionals in the textile industry on how alternative approaches are helping the textile industry to move forward.

Then we will contribute patches to a collective gigantic quilt art piece that aims to bring about social change by cultural means. Open to all participants including people with autism.

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Patchwork of Cashmere - Creating a cashmere patchwork while watching a documentary on the production of cashmere. This image is part of Viviana's art installation  Occupy Cultural Threads  (2021). Photo taken by Viviana M. Calderon de la Barca Viviana M. Calderon de la Barca

Project Description

Inclusive Patching is a hands-on full of information afternoon, where we can share practical knowledge on sustainable approaches to textile circularity. The workshop can be held mostly in English and Dutch, and led by sociocultural educator and filmmaker Viviana M. Calderón de la Barca. Inclusive Patching is open to anyone interested in sharing and learning over sustainable textile production and consumption approaches with people with autism.

Interaction is a key component of learning and change in any modern society. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, people with special needs, as autism, is key. Increasing involvement has demonstrated improvements through interaction and exposure. This learning environment can promote inclusion in communities with people with autism and special needs.

Personal introduction

Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion lay at the heart of all of Viviana's sociocultural creative projects. With her latest audiovisual installation on textile circularity, coproduced by Baltan Laboratories and exhibited this year at NATLAB in Eindhoven, she wants to further encourage acceptance and change by working along with different generations and people with autism.

Viviana has been trained and worked internationally as a language and cultural educator in different levels—from preprimary education to university. In Canada, she assisted parents and their children with educational support to overcome speech delay problems with the guidance of speech pathologists. Later in Amsterdam she has taught undergraduate foreign language curricula that considered students born with brain damage.

Currently, Viviana is also working on her next documentary on textile designers, artists and women entrepreneurs. She is a happy Netherlands based documentary and fiction writer and filmmaker, who works mostly from Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and sleeps in Eindhoven.

Invited speakers:

Lena Winterink

Working with disciplines like textile design and photography Lena Winterink develops concepts into physical representations of current topics. She is fascinated by how unique and simultaneously identical humans are and focuses on elements that otherwise stay unnoticed. Winterink’s work often results in a contemporary approach that inspires people to reflect differently upon their daily habits and environment. On Lena’s website you can find info on the projects she has been working on in the recently.

Brandon Chow

Brandon is a second year student in Design Academy's fashion program (in Eindhoven, Netherlands), studio Unidentified. His work uses fashion and textile as a medium to reflect on social and cultural issues including climate breakdown, identity politics and mental health. Brandon's website.

Leonie Hillmann

After completing a bachelors in Business Administration Leonie is now a second year student at the Design Academy (in Eindhoven, Netherlands). While she enjoys sewing and making her own clothes, as a designer Maive is more interested in understanding bigger systems and connections. She recently started volunteering in a thrift store because she’s eager to find ways to make our consumption more circular. Leonie's Instagram.

Beatrice Maione

Masters in social design, Design Academy Eindhoven.

Elena Nauman

Sustainable fashion and research at the Design Academy Eindhoven; Aalto University Creative Sustainability and Fashion; Product design at Ryzon Apparel. Elena's website

Estimated Costs

Admission per participant would be 25 euro including patching materials with a minimum of eight participants.

This proposal is part of the 'Penny for your Thoughts' project 2022.