Circular Threads

Engaging young women in conversations around the harmful impacts of the textiles industry and more sustainable solutions, we worked with Venus Charities “R-GEN” group and textiles artists Alena Kudera and Emma Summerscales to re-work second hand clothes and bring life to old items.

Over six weeks, the group learnt how to re-work their own classic t-shirt and jeans “look” from second-hand denim items and t-shirts. Through the process, Emma and Alena shared small tricks and techniques to transform old denim and t-shirts into something new, save clothes from landfill and encourage circular practices.

Along the way, we spoke about the resources, people, processes, and cost of textiles and clothes production, the optimism needed for change, and how small actions can start helping us start working towards greener futures for our communities, such as conversations with loved ones.

Thank you to Liverpool City Region for funding our work through the LCR Community Environment Fund; Venus Charity for partnering with us on the project, and Open Door charity for their donation of clothes and support.

Get Involved

Sharing our environmental learning and encouraging a ripple effect, we are inviting you to have a go at up-cycling your own clothes, using these simple practices, bringing new life to old garments. We have also gathered a list of environmental learning resources: books, podcasts, and documentaries exploring the true cost of the textile industry.

Access our Environmental Learning Resource list here.

Project Origin

From flax comes linen — one of the world’s most sustainable textiles. But what is a “sustainable textile”, and what does sustainability actually mean? Stemming from our exploration of Bootle’s ancestral land history in 2021, we are projecting forward and inviting young women to join us to explore the textiles industry, our relationships with the things we own, and the climate crisis.