The British Council recently hosted ‘Making Futures Philippines’, a three-day conference that took place in Cebu, the Philippines from 6-8 March 2020. The conference was in partnership with Plymouth College of Art, supported through British Council’s Crafting Futures global programme, the Design Centre of the Philippines and the Philippine Textile Research Institute.

Making Futures explored contemporary craft and maker movements as ‘change agents’ in societies across the globe by investigating key issues concerning the progressive possibilities presented by the revival, development and promotion of these sectors. The conference platform positions Southeast Asia as an exciting region for approaches and ideas that other parts of the world may not have heard of. It also actively seeks to stimulate the formation of connections and networks that can lead to future partnerships.

Explore the conference’s digital contents below for presentations, panel discussions, resources and discover exciting initiatives on craft all over the world.

Making Leaders: Crafting Leadership Cultures Presentation

Keynote 1 

Amneh Shaikh-Farooqui - Crafting a new future for Pakistani artisans – From livelihoods to reimagined sustainability 

Presentation

Video

Breakout

Yegwa Ukpo - Guildcrafting for the maintenance of wisdom ecologies

 Presentation

 Video

Breakout

Kamonnart Ongwandee - Making Change: Weaving community resilience with sustainable fashion

 Presentation

 Video

Breakout

Sudebi Thakurata - Transformational leadership in design and crafts 

 Presentation

Video – Coming soon

Digital-Analogue Crafting

Keynote 2

Tomas Diez - Designing Emergent Futures 

Presentation

Video

Breakout

Tobias Guggenheimer - DTI-Design Center Digital Artisans Project

Presentation

Video – Coming soon

Breakout

Analyn Salvador-Amores - From Backstrap to Digital Loom: Digitising Traditional Textiles in the Cordillera, North Luzon Philippines

Presentation

Video – Coming soon

Breakout

Anton Hasell - Transitioning analogue traditional bell making to the digital 3D Additive Manufacturing processes for new acoustic experience 

Presentation

Video – Coming soon

Crafting in Industry

Breakout Adhi Nugraha - Should Craft Become Industry? Some Indonesian Cases 
Presentation  Video
Breakout Karina Abola - Crafting Ginhawa: A critical exploration of social inequality and ginhawa (well-being) in the context of Filipino craft 
Presentation  Video
Breakout Suryani Senja Alias - How can Craft be an integral part of the Creative Industry in Malaysia? 
Presentation  Video

Lifecycles of Material Worlds (Sustainability in Action)

Keynote 3 Cameron Tonkinwise - The Craft of Being Local Together
Presentation  Presentation Video  Conference Video 
Plenary  Kenno Uy - LESSTICS–Putting Value in single use plastics
Presentation  Video
Plenary Stefano Santilli - The Wiki-Waste-Workshop / Waste it’s Mine it’s Yours
Presentation  Video
Plenary Santiago Alfaro - Sustainability in Conflict: Crafting the Future of Junco Basketry 
Presentation  Video

Materials and Processes in Transformation

Workshop Ma. Lourdes Joy Martinez Onozawa - Bamboo 101: An Introduction to the Benefits of Bamboo
Presentation  Video – Coming soon
Workshop Evangeline Manalang - Workshop on Philippine textile surface design using natural dyes
Presentation  Video – Coming soon
Workshop Carmen Hijosa - Piñatex: A New Material for a New World
Presentation  Video – Coming soon

Craft as Social Enterprise

Keynote 4 Kenza Oulaghada - Anou: Beyond fair trade
Presentation  Video 
Breakout Tabatha Andrews - From Object to Gesture: Crafting Language
Presentation  Video
Breakout Nripal Adhikary - Creating Bamboo Based Economy in Nepal
Presentation – Coming soon Video
Breakout Passawee Kodaka - Folkcharm’s Impact Story: A Social Enterprise that attempts to make relevant Traditional Crafts through Design and Branding of a Traceable Supply Chain and Sustainable Production 
Presentation  Video – Coming soon

Building Craft Networks & Partnerships in Action

Breakout Butch Carungay - Cebu's Creative City Designation
Presentation  Video
Breakout Rebekah Cheng - Spreading the Impact of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) x Design
Presentation  Video
Breakout Gwendolyn Kulick - Craft for Empowerment in Pakistan – A Systems Approach into Manifested Structures, Processes, Values and Mind-sets
Presentation  Video

Photos

Social Media

Instagram TV interview National Artist Kidlat Tahimik with the president of World Crafts Council, Rosy Greenlees IG TV
Instagram TV interview Programme Lead for Arts and Creative Industries East Asia Daniel Donnelly with Rebekah Cheng of Ishinomaki Laboratory IG TV
Facebook post Day 1 recap - 6 March FB
Facebook post Day 2 recap - 7 March FB
Facebook post Day 3 recap - 8 March FB
Twitter thread Day 1 - 6 March Twitter
Twitter thread Day 2 - 7 March Twitter
Twitter thread Day 3 - 8 March Twitter

Podcast

MUNI on This  Episode 6: Episode 6: Crafting Futures post-Covid with Amneh Shaikh-Farooqui and Cameron Tonkinwise Spotify 

External links