Ellie Steel is this year’s Community Development Intern at the Living Lab. She will be working together with students and staff within and beyond the ISJ to co-create and promote events that highlight the importance of a unified community within YSJ for combatting matters of ecological justice.

Volunteers and participants across the different activities

Last Friday, the energy and passion of YSJ students, staff, and local groups from the community united for a wonderful, sustainability-focused upcycling event – our first Repair Fair.

Held in the Holgate concourse, the event was divided into three indoor activities, each led by a different team. While each activity focussed on supporting participants with specific tasks, they all shared the same underlying goal: to encourage Craftivism and enrich our YSJ community. Outside, there was also a Bike Doctor on hand to offer free repair services to students and staff, who reported he had fixed up 18 bikes during the event. Overall, the day engaged over 100 participants, making one thing very clear: “There’s a real need and want for more events just like this,” as surmised by one of our volunteers who joined us from The Groves Repair ‘n’ Share Cafe.

Mila, a first-year Business Management student, received a notification about the event from her YSJ app that morning. She came along simply hoping to find someone who could work a sewing machine and help her start on a project she wanted to begin, but didn’t quite know how to do alone. Mila wanted to transfer a floral felt design off of one skirt onto another, and by the end of the day, she had been guided through cutting, pinning and sewing together her new, upcycled piece almost to completion. She shared that she had “always looked for a sewing group like this” and was especially happy to have found an accepting and welcoming group of people, especially when textile activities can feel a little lonely without the support of others.

Mila’s skirt progress!

Mila’s skirt is just one of forty pieces of clothing our fantastic volunteers helped repair, resize, and redesign. Some students and staff came prepared with a jumper or jeans to mend, while others happened upon the event when walking by, excited to find a quick fix for a missing button on their coat or a hole in their gloves. Throughout the Repair Fair, participants engaged enthusiastically, eager to learn from our volunteers. Francesca, Chair of The Arts Society, expressed how lovely it was to have a space where students could meet someone who could either teach them something new or take the problem off their hands and repair their clothing with care and expertise.

Another activity, led by Adrian, YSJ’s Student as Researcher on the Climate Resilience Community Quilt Project, invited people to explore how crafting can be a powerful form of activism – something we call Craftivism. I had such an inspiring chat with Adrian about how crafting spaces are brilliant for addressing tough, anxiety-inducing issues like the climate crisis. Creating collaborative, expressive art like the upcoming Community Quilt Project encourages mindfulness and helps participants engage in solution-orientated conversations without the pressure of a formal meeting. Additionally, and essentially, crafting together builds a sense of community and resilience, as everyone comes together with a shared commitment to ecological justice. Workshops for the Community Quilt will be in full swing after the New Year, and if this sounds like something you want to get involved with, whether you have skills to share or a willingness to get stuck in, then please do send Adrian a quick message at Adrian.westgarth1@yorksj.ac.uk to be added to the email chain, which has already attracted over thirty sign-ups during the Repair Fair! Adrian noted how he was “excited by the breadth of experiences that are going to impact the Community Quilt Project.” Eva, a research assistant on the project, shared how optimistic the Repair Fair left her, noting that many interested students were particularly excited by the sustainability aspects of the project, such as using natural dyes.

Tadcrafters and participants making sewing kits

Volunteers from Tadcrafters CIC helped the Repair Fair greatly by running a third activity where students could make their own sewing kits or needle cases. Founded in 2015 after the collapse of Tadcaster’s bridge, Tadcrafters was formed simply to make bunting to lift local spirits. Since then, the non-profit has grown, bringing volunteers together to create and donate meaningful projects to causes in need. At YSJ’s Repair Fair, their crafty expertise and generosity enabled over thirty participants to stitch up uniquely designed felt sewing kits, providing them with the tools and skills to do future repairs.

The Living Lab extends a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who joined us at the University for the event: those from The Groves Repair ‘n’ Share Café, The Bike Doctor, and Tadcrafters CIC. Be sure to research the amazing work that these groups do to support Yorkshire communities!

Volunteers and participants working together

A student with their mended coat

We’re thrilled with how impactful the Repair Fair was and how many students got involved, whether they had planned to attend or just stopped by to see what the buzz was all about, as pointed out by Francesca “our societies and groups at YSJ really do make a difference.”  The scale of engagement and interest from the student body at YSJ shows us very clearly how there is a strong desire for more spaces and events like this one. The Living Lab is all about hosting events that teach skills that help support a more sustainable lifestyle and encourage collaboration and creativity. We can’t wait to bring more of these opportunities to campus!