SMART SOLUTIONS
Mastering the shift to thrift It’s time for change. Nicole Wood chats to Emma Whitenstall, executive director at the Festival of Thrift to discuss festivals, sustainable living and the future of our planet... What can you tell us about your route into the world of sustainability? Emma Whitenstall: My background is actually in the digital sector. I’ve been working to support creative, digital and tech businesses for the past 10 years and I love how vibrant and constantly evolving the scene is in the North East. I worked as both operations manager and executive producer for the Thinking Digital Conference for three years, bringing new and inspirational tech innovators and entrepreneurs to the region, and loved the buzz of a large-scale event. I then went on to manage the digital and creative business support programme for Generator and now work with Dynamo, supporting tech businesses - specifically in health tech through our cluster work. You might think this is all very random considering where I’ve ended up, but that digital background certainly came in handy when our 2020 festival went online. My role as executive director at the Festival of Thrift is essentially to ensure the sustainability of the festival itself, through fundraising, capacity building and robust governance. What can you tell us about the Festival of Thrift? EW: The Festival of Thrift has been running since 2013 when thousands of people flocked to Darlington to experience inspirational speakers join forces with skill sharers and ethical traders, to help place creativity at the heart of our shared
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sustainable future and celebrate a new way of ethical living. We positioned artists as inspirers to action and to encourage change through workshops, exhibitions and performances. The first festival was a huge success and we have continued annually ever since, establishing Festival of Thrift CIC in 2015 with a mission to benefit the community and advance public awareness of sustainable living. Now based in Redcar, we reach new audiences from all over the UK year-onyear, building new partnerships with organisations who share our ethos.
minds - what do these initiatives entail? EW: 2020 was a year of challenge and change and we expanded our reach to take our message wider, not just to those who can join us at our beautiful green site in Kirkleatham, Redcar, but worldwide and online. The climate crisis is growing and we all need to take action now - in our backyards, in our living rooms, in our communities. So, we are no longer just an annual festival, (though we most certainly look forward to returning), but we are also becoming a campaigning organisation encouraging everyone to be a part of
the solution - not part of the pollution. An example of this, is the Fix it Fortnight event that we ran in February, an interactive, digital programme that featured a host of online tutorials, debates, tips and tricks along with downloadable toolkits to support a more sustainable lifestyle. We also plan to focus on slow fashion and sustainable eating within the coming months. How important is sustainable living to you? EW: Sustainability is something that has crept into my life slowly but surely, and came to a head about a year ago when I knew I had to do something to make a
How can our readers get involved in the Festival of Thrift? EW: Our focus has always been on how we as individuals can make those small changes. The shift to thrift can be something small that will add up to make a big difference for the future of our planet while encouraging others to join in. Whether that is coming to our green field festival in Redcar (25 - 26 September 2021 COVID-depending) or engaging with our digital events and resources, we believe we can all celebrate sustainability and make a difference. Receiving the Culture Recovery Fund is amazing news. I understand it has allowed you to continue to develop initiatives beyond the physical festival to keep sustainable living at the forefront of our
MAR/APR21
