Imagining Possibilities

About the event

By questioning existing logic and assumptions, our festival programme will expand possibilities for fashion to help people live well together in a more-than-human world, shifting the narrative of emergency, to a narrative of emergence into new ways of living.

Visitor information

17 -  20 April
LCF East Bank, 105 Carpenter's Road
London E20 2AR

Melanin Skate Gals & Pals

Join Melanin Skate Gals & Pals as they transform LCF's colonnade with a vibrant skate jam and workshop. Since 2021, MSGP have used skateboarding and roller-skating as tools for social change, empowering community and self-expression. This all-inclusive activity fosters inclusivity, celebrating the joy of movement, sustainably! Collaborate with our DJs using our open decks, to create a personalised vibe for a day of shredding and skill-sharing, exploring more broadly how skating culture can inspire a more mindful future. Grab your pre-loved board, skates or borrow kit directly from us, and let's roll towards a better world! Beginners welcome!

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Tommasi

NTS resident Thomas Stankiewicz (aka Tommasi) finds inspiration in Iceland's dynamic landscapes. His atmospheric soundscapes blend repurposed film scores, classical fragments, and soulful jazz – a testament to the boundless creativity of nature. Experience his delicately warm curation, designed to spark a shared reflection on sustainability. His music reminds us of our responsibility to preserve the beauty that inspires such sonic wonder.

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Flora Yin Wong: Paradise Lost

Inspired by far flung places in the wilderness, Flora Yin Wong composed her recent album using field recordings from weaving valleys and still lakes to rainforests at night and mountains in Japan. Softly dissonant drones envelop the sounds of rippling pools and rocks underfoot; Flora’s work is a continuous call and response between artist and landscape.

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Jæd: Aura Surey

Irish-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Jæd (aka Jennifer Evans) offers a unique, site-specific performance at the edge of the River Lea. Performing by the water as an invitation to acknowledge the more than human world while exploring themes of sustainability, Jæd plays with the acoustics under the bridge, exploring oral histories and the myth of indigenous Caribbean extinction, inspired by the Taino spiritual message of Aura Surey (morning star) and the traditional Irish song, Sean Nós.

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Sharing the Voice: Community Choir

Imagine the possibilities of a stronger, more connected world! Join the vibrant Deptford Community Choir, where diverse voices unite. Born from dialogue with the community, this choir embodies sustainability – it's about nurturing relationships, finding joy, and building a better future through collective action.  Experience the healing power of music and raise your voice in songs that celebrate nature, community, and the power within each of us to create positive change. No previous experience necessary, just a heart open to song!

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Sustained Protest: Radical Upcycling Workshop

Artisan designer, Sé Amo, founder of East London fashion design brand, Patois, directs a revolutionary upcycling workshop for children and adults alike, drawing on the brand’s practice of upcycling school shirts and old uniforms using fabric paint and stencils that represent radical book covers. Bring your old clothes and try out this fun and educational approach to making your clothes new again!

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Aunty Knows Best: Consulting Clothing Agonies

Talk about your clothing concerns with tailoring experts, Pallavi Chamarty and her aunty Rekha Subraveti, on video call from India, in this ‘agony aunt’ style consultation and demonstration workshop proffering sustainable solutions for growth including wide seam allowances and multiple seam stitches! Feel free to bring a sewing kit!

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Dapada: Countering Waste Colonialism

Join decolonial fashion researcher Toyin Gbomedo for a fun, family-friendly workshop, starting with a poetic intervention exploring the Yoruba concept of ‘Dapada’ (return to sender) and its connection to clothing waste. Get inspired by Toyin's upcycled creations and plan out your own design to transform the old clothes you have at home into wearable treasures. Get creative and seek guidance from an expert as you near the realisation of your upcycling dreams, with the first stage, sketching on paper! Pens and pencils provided!

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Mossibilities

Dive into the fascinating world of moss and challenge your view of nature. Learn about interconnectedness, resilience, and how this incredible plant can inspire us to live in harmony with the world around us.  Get hands-on with a mossy adventure, explore moss-inspired future worlds through meditation, and unleash your creativity with recycled fabrics.  Leave with a deeper connection to nature and the seeds of a brighter, more sustainable future.

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Colectivo Malvestidas: Combating the Dictatorship of Bibliography

Tired of the same old voices in fashion theory? Join Colectivo Malvestidas as they rip the seams open on academic elitism. Witness Latin American voices literally hung out to dry, revealing forgotten figures in decolonial fashion. This is hands-on rebellion, where clotheslines become a manifesto. Get ready to rethink sustainability in fashion... it starts with whose knowledge gets a platform!

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Embodied Water

Did you know that everything we use impacts freshwater resources? Explore the hidden water cost of fashion with artist Seyi Adelekun. Through movement, meditation, and mark making, discover your connection to the River Lea's ecology and the concept of ‘embodied water’. Together, we'll envision a more sustainable future. No experience needed – all are welcome!

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