BIG GET TOGETHER

The London Design Festival later this month features a sustainability hub hosted and organised by my fellow London United founders Sophie Thomas and Juhi Shareef. It's an amazing programme featuring many of my favourite green gurus, creatives and brands (including as of last week Howies and Method). Here's just a small selection of who's on the bill:

Dorothy MacKenzie, Dragon
Malcolm Smith, ARUP
Nic Marks, New Economic Foundation
Lucy Siegle, The Observer
Pio Barone Lumaga, LOFT Stockholm
Daniel Epstein, Olympic Delivery Authority
Dr Kate Fletcher, London College of Fashion
John Wood, Attainable Utopias
Nat Hunter, co-founder of Airside and Three Trees Don’t Make a Forest

The idea is to create a space where those of us working in the creative industries on sustainability can learn from each other, get fresh ideas and inspiration. So do hurry and book spaces because some sessions are filling up fast.

I'm going to be involved in some of the sessions and also planning to catch up with others' so I hope to see some local Greenormal people down there (eg do try to make Monday 15th for London United workshop with Aladin and yours truly). There is also a fairly generous donation of East Green beer from our friends at Adnams if you make it along to the evening events! There follows the official blurb from Sophie and do follow the link to the site for more details and to book your places...

GREENGAGED 08

Dear interested and engaged friends

We have been really busy organising and curating a fantastic mix of speakers for the new event 'greengaged' launching at the Design Council for this year’s London Design Festival. Running from the 15th- 23rd September the programme is jammed packed with debates, seminars, master classes and the odd excursion - and it is all FREE to attend- thanks to the greengaged sponsors! For anyone who is interested in sustainable innovative design and good practice we think attending greengaged is a must.

Highlights include:

• "This house believes that the primary responsibility for tackling global climate change lies with the design industry"
Big Bang Breakfast debate with Design Council Chair, Sir Michael Bichard, with Juila Hailes MBE; Ed McCann of Expedition Engineering UK;
Dorothy MacKenzie, Chair of Dragon; and Clive Grinyer of Cisco debating the role of design in the fight against climate change.

• Michael Braungart, co-author of publication ‘Cradle to Cradle: Re-making the way we make things’ in conversation at the RSA.

• Debate on the challenges for delivering a sustainable Olympics with key players from the London 2012 design team.

• Rob Holdway (presenter of Channel 4’s “Dumped”) hosts a canal boat trip to a waste recycling centre to showcase the importance of ‘designing in’ re-use and recyclability.

• Seminars on best practice and innovation, with cutting edge practitioners in graphic and communication design, fashion and product design, and behavioural change

• Practical workshops on bringing sustainable smart thinking to design studios and projects; packaging, and sustainable print and paper.

• A night walk through London, “re-thinking the city” with artist and magician aladin.

• Global issues brain storming sessions with material scientists and biomimicry architects.

We have pulled together designers, scientists, strategists and magicians (amongst others) whom we ourselves find inspiring to listen to or have learned a lot from with the aim to ruffle you up and galvanise you all into action.
To see the full programme and book your free place go to greengaged.com (Places are limited and are booking up fast- so don’t wait)

We hope you will agree that greengaged is not to be missed.