Brighton's global craft initiative on show at major London exhibition

Part of a broader exhibition entitled Gaining Ground, the University of Brighton's British Council-backed project - Making Nature – was the brainchild of Nick Gant, founder of the groundbreaking Community21 initiative, which brings together researchers and creative communities - from Sussex to South East Asia - for craft-focused work that seeks to address different global challenges.

The Making Nature project specifically explores how designers and craftspeople can directly support local habitats and biodiversity through their practices. Makers in the UK and Indonesia came together to share knowledge and practices that support their surrounding ecosystems – for example, growing their own natural materials to utilise, or maximising the financial and social benefits of small-scale local manufacturing.

In particular, Making Nature spotlights the rich tradition of making containers for Ketupat – a rice cake wrapped in a diamond-shaped packaging of woven coconut leaves – which has long provided work for a community in Bandung City, Indonesia. As well as highlighting knowledge of materials and craft passed down through generations, the project celebrates sustainable farming of coconut trees in the region, as well as the minimisation of waste through finding other uses for leaf material left over from Ketupat containers – including satay skewers, broomsticks and wedding decorations.

Nick Gant, Principal Lecturer in the University of Brighton's School of Art and Media, said:

“We are humbled to be working alongside colleagues across the world, all seeking to contribute to solving some of the key global challenges of our time. This is also providing new research into the relationship between makers of different kinds and how they can directly support biodiversity through their creative practices – while also serving the sustainable development needs of diverse  cultures, economies and communities across the world.”