Create Sustain Ability ADM-HEA Annual Forum 2010

The Art Design Media Subject Centre’s (ADM-HEA) Annual Forum 2010 focused on the subject of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

In 2005 the UK Government’s paper ‘Securing the Future’ outlined its strategy for Sustainable Development. It defined ‘sustainable development’ as a goal to ‘enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life for future generations’ (DEFRA p.6).

This goal has since gained momentum in higher education, more recently with the publication of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills ‘Investing in our Future: Sustainable Action Plan 2009’ and The Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) ‘Sustainable Development in Higher Education’, 2008. Both these documents articulate the major and central role of educators and researchers in higher education and stress that fast-changing socio-economic and environmental conditions will demand a different set of attributes from graduates, for example, new skills, capabilities and knowledge to deal with climate change.

To assist and support institutions and art design and media subjects to develop curricula and pedagogy that will help students develop the skills and knowledge to live and work sustainably, this year’s Annual Forum aimed to:

• Develop awareness and understanding of Education for Sustainable Development and relationships to art, design and media higher education.

• Enable the exchange of information and ideas and practice for embedding sustainability issues and concepts in art, design and media curriculum, learning and teaching

• Bring together those who are currently or have in the past undertaken research in the area of ESD to assist in the generation of further ideas and interactions.

• Generate opportunities and support for those wishing to collaborate to develop new and existing projects and initiatives.

Arran Stibbe, National Teaching Fellow, author of The Handbook for Sustainable Literacy and Senior Lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, opened the day with a keynote followed by a number of facilitated discussion groups based on the submitted papers.

Full Programme and Abstracts pdf

Presentations from this event:

Keynotes

Arran Stibbe, University of Gloucestershire

Heather Luna, Higher Education Academy

Group 1

Sustainabity as an enhancement theme for the 21st century design graduate: Should it become visible.
Jackie Malcolm, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design

Heroic Habius vs. Sustainable Cybourg
Govinda Dickman, University of the West of England
Notes

Group 2

Developing sustainability themes within the curriculum of Fashion & Textiles
Cassandra O'Connor, University of Bolton

EFS at Plymouth College of Art
Mary Loveday-Edwards & Teresa Gray

Group 3

Do we impose on Nature or reconcile with Nature?
Tanya de Paor, University of Limerick

Referencing the question: 'How is, or how might ESD be incorporated into art and design curricula'?
Philip Hawkins & Eileen Rosamund, Somerset College of Arts & Technology

Group 4

The Nature of Stuff
Justin Carter & Robert Mantho, Glasgow School of Art

Visions in Light
Sue Fahy, University of Wolverhampton

Group 5

The Sustainability Information Teaching Exchange
Chris Smith, Plymouth College of Art

Socially in fashion education
Liz Parker & Hannah Higginson, Fashioning an Ethical Industry

Group 6

About the Centre for Contemporary Art and Natural World (CCANW)
Joanna Korndorfer, CCANW

Navigating the complexity of sustainability
Rupert Bassett & Lynne Elvins, Bath Spa University

Group 7

Learning in Place
Barbara Dass

Making Futures: sustainability and curriculum change
Malcolm Ferris, Plymouth College of Art