Ideological Constructs – Past Visions/Future Possibilities: Evaluating the Endangered Subjects in the Context of Emerging Global Sustainability and Environmental Agendas.
The aims of this project are to investigate the ways in which the Applied Arts, as Minority specialist subjects, are being affected by and are responding to current debates around sustainability; and to explore whether the agendas developing around sustainability and environmental issues offer opportunities for the Applied Arts to formulate practices, identities, positions and markets, in ways that might reconnect them to contemporary social, cultural and economic imperatives; i.e. recover an ideological purpose.
The project has so far completed a scoping paper setting out the main issues and conflicts concerning the interface between Applied Arts and sustainability, and set up a website which is intended to act as a network hub for the project. The paper is available to download from the website.
Still to come is a workshop in which the main ideas and case studies will be addressed – to be reported on the website as well. The website will continue to expand and become populated with essays, case studies, and a blog during the course of the project.