By the Fire: Co-operative inquiry into fashion sustainability

  • Liz Parker: Associate Lecturer, Fashion Business, London College of Fashion

Abstract

By the Fire is a space for engaging with learning for fashion sustainability. In Autumn 2016, By the Fire founders Liz Parker and Lizzie Harrison, UAL staff, brought together 19 UK based educators in higher education to participate in a cooperative inquiry process about teaching fashion sustainability. The project was funded by UAL Teaching, Learning and Enhancement Research Fund.


The process stimulated fashion educators in the UK to critically review and evaluate their pedagogical and curriculum development approaches to teaching fashion sustainability through a collaborative reflective practice.

The open ended - and therefore ambiguous and risky - process was facilitated to support participants to interrogate areas significance to them within the broad heading of fashion sustainability education rather than pre-defining topics of inquiry for participants to follow. A diverse range of outputs were produced in response to this process.

In the presentation of this paper, the findings and analysis of the co-operative inquiry process and its outcomes will be delivered followed by an invitation to participate in an activity to stimulate conversations about teaching fashion sustainability.