Sustainable practices at the Garden Museum, including environmental measures, social sustainability and a look at 'Cultivating Style' a sustainable exhibition of environmentally aware fashion design
Introduction to.The Museum was set up in 1977 in order to rescue from demolition the abandoned ancient church of St Mary’s which is the burial place of John Tradescant (c1570 – 1638), the first great gardener and plant-hunter in British history.First development Dow Jones 2008Next phase 2015.
We’re a museum….that’s our job!Staff and volunteer visits – connections with other local gardens/organisationsSchools, Education and OutreachSurgeries and primary schoolsE.g. Lambeth walkLocal business links-new covent garden market-lambeth council-RHS, Landscape instituteCommunity space- Neighbours scheme
VOLUNTEERSUs taking the flower cart to Kennington Country Life Fair- Explain flower cart and original Happy Museum bid
The museum is in a Victorian ChurchFluctuating temperaturesHot in Summer, Freeeezing in WinterDraftyPoor insulation:Cost of insulating the roof would be…well, through the roof!
Main SpaceUnder floor heating by gas boiler- No longer v effectiveA smaller domestic boiler for office radiatorsSmall electric heaters used at front desk in cold monthsBefore this we’ve had infrared heaters on pillars that singe the top of your head! And portable gas boilers even before that (dangerous)
OfficePlastic sheeting in office roofLow energy bulbsLights often off in office when enough daylightAll lights are turned off completely when not in use including in the toiletsBack office was built from old exhibition Dutch Wave
Café counter from Old Vic from 1970s rescued from a old set by Philip
Of course the gardenCompost and wormeryGreenhouse built using funding obtained by previous sustainability trainee BeatriceVolunteer runSchool sessions
Fashion and GardensMaintaining steady exhibition spaces:HumidityTemperatureEnvironmental control48 – 50 RH18 – 20 Celsius1 Humidifier1 dehumidifier1 domestic heaterTate – picky!Lady Blonde hair chest!, piece, oil on panel (i.e. wood) fragile in fluctuating temps, so has silica gel to absorb excess moisture.Recycling wood and glass in Fashion for Titchmarsh
BackgroundShare Academy Arts Council funded LCF partnership – an exhibition and series of eventsResearch into the relationship between universities and museumsMA Fashion Futures – sustainable fashion designInstall should also be as sustainable as possible
Sustainable design- Organicsilk, recycled from sari factories
Zero waste pattern cutting – explainOrganic felt, 100% wool
Low VOC paint, zero solvent– you could eat it!
Colours on display!
Display stands – FSC certified wood, supporting local enterprise! (Jake and Loz – sculptors)(originally whitten timber – environmental policy – too expensive)Digital prints on textiles – eek – but being reused for student exhibitionDelivery by eco van preferably – fabricators call in the endLow tech space with minimal electrical outletTwo small screens – of course turned off when closed
THE SPACELow energy bulbsFlexible, through route to café, needs to be a versatilespaceQueue for Café
Needs to be taken down quickly for venue hire such as this…Movie themed dance evening from Cathedral groupWeddings as well – now painted over.
Clipped up to walls for easy take downClips act as hooks, stored in art store then put back up.
Display walls on wheels
AssociatedeventsDrawing workshop with Charlotte Mann, models wearing clothing
Dye workshops2 sell out
Budget – Quick fixes, More concerned with getting what we need with as little money as possible. Committing to the sustainable maintenance of an exhibition space requires initial investment in technologies and infrastructuresMaking physical changes to the space such as this was not something we could allocate funds for. The hire of an eco van to deliver objects, again, is typically more expensive than using a van already owned by the fabricators, for example. 2. Time – Arts Council funded partnership - carefully allocated as the money. Time and budget are limited. We worked to a very tight time scale for this exhibition. Stipulating sustainable practice on paper is one thing, but the implementation of it in practice is another. 3. Responsibility and priority - Sustainability needs to be the responsibility of everyone involved in making decisions. to physically implement sustainable methods - all key players need to push it up their priority list. Sustainability needs to be embedded in a project and, perhaps more importantly, agreed by all partners involved in driving the project.
Challenge of a one year post and the threat that has to the sustainability of projects – like many short term/freelance part time contracts in the sectorProjects for the future:St Mary’s development – new community group, Garden development, edibles, also Seasonal SaturdaysHappy Museum involvementJulie’s Bicycle?Placements and training – e.g. volunteering at MA conference