Plastic Justice is a pan-European educational collaboration between five art and design academies in The Hague, Reykjavík, Barcelona, London and Vilnius. Together with regional environmentally engaged NGOs and scientists, the educational programme, including a conference, exhibition and website, focuses on the long-term impact of invisible micro-plastics on the human body. Plastic Justice aims to create new knowledge through cross-academic exchange and field-research promoting conscious design education for an upcoming generation. Plastic Justice is funded by the Strategic Partnership programme of the European Union.
Plastic Justice
Creator: Plastic Justice|Art form: Design, Digital media, Performing arts, Visual arts|Knowledge valorisation : Co-creation, Outreach|Place: The Hague,Netherlands|Location : Hybrid|Target group: Artists, Citizens, Companies, Public Authorities, University|Domains: Digital Age|Duration : Long-term project
Networks for knowledge on the effect of microplastics on health.
Challenge: How to foster new knowledge production about the effect of microplastics on health by creating and developing networks between science, relevant NGOs and the arts.
Resources needed
Civic engagement / responsible citizenships
Cooperation between education institution and industry
Social / environmental responsibilities of education institutions
Purpose of artistic intervention
The artistic intervention of the Plastic Justice project involves a pan-European collaboration between five art and design academies, regional NGOs, and scientists to address the impact of microplastics on health. By integrating scientific research with artistic and design methodologies, the project aims to raise awareness and generate well-informed communication materials. The collaborative model serves as a precedent for addressing other complex sustainability issues, promoting conscious design education for the next generation. Funded by the EU’s Strategic Partnership programme, it exemplifies cross-academic and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Positive impacts
Enhance and develop educational practices by creating teaching guide to actively inform the design process.
Create a network of collaborative learning, by bringing together academic peers, environmental experts, climate activists, lawyers, journalists, business professionals and policy makers for joint knowledge exchange and discussion.
Connect designers with scientists, to ensure that valuable research being conducted in different scientific fields can reach a broader audience through design thinking and visualization.
Influence policy on the topic of micro-plastics.
Replication
The replication is linked to the intellectual outputs of the project thanks to their long-term potential:
-Plastic Justice Case Files: Online repository of information about microplastics and health.
-Plastic Justice Advocacy: Teachers’ guide with tools and methodology to include microplastics issues in the arts and graphic design curricula.
-Plastic Justice Verdict: Policy brief based on the project results.
