Among bicycle parts and machinery, a diverse group enjoyed a screen-printing workshop celebrating their love of cycling and efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

Hosted by the Valley Community Workspace and The Valley Project, this provided an opportunity for families and individuals to engage in a creative process and discuss their own journeys towards zero carbon.

For koha, members of the community could have an image added to their bags and t-shirts. T-shirts sourced from local charity shops were also available to support reuse and to extend the life of second-hand garments. The image was specifically designed to promote a positive relationship with the flora and fauna of Aotearoa, New Zealand by opting to use low and zero-carbon transport options.

An animated team of volunteers helped with the process to cultivate a connection between design, the environment and social change.

This is the sixth community screen-printing workshop run by The Valley Project North East Valley Manager, Jen Rodgers, and Meg Brasell Jones, a senior lecturer at Te Maru Pūmanawa/School of Design at Otago Polytechnic, who fosters design outcomes with a focus on environmental and social issues.

Previous workshops have supported sustainable transport options on campus at Otago Polytechnic, raised mental health awareness, and engaged with pupils from Waikouaiti School to celebrate their Enviroschool.

Ed - Many thanks to Meg Brasell-Jones for contributing this article.