The Regenerating a Creative Future programme by British Council in partnership with Good Life X goes across silos of the creative and innovation sectors to identify and align its contribution to the circular and regenerative economy as the way forward. Through exploring new lexicons to better define and open up the conversation on the language and materials used in these models, and working in partnership withThe British Council’s programmeMaking Matters, we seek to increase awareness and draw from inherent practices across the Sri Lankan creative sector to expand opportunities to plug into the regenerative models of the economy for anyone. This programme draws from British Council’s Creative Economies programme, which focuses on increasing awareness and facilitating the recognition of the creative and cultural industries amongst creative networks, industry stakeholders and policymakers. The programme has been designed by Good Life X with industry expertise from Lonali Rodrigo.
Join us for the first session of the conversation series this Thursday 3 March 18.00 - 19.00 IST (12.30 - 13.30 GMT). In this session, we will first be discussing how circular economy centric sustainability, sustainable architecture, and differing cultural dynamics play a role in the urbanization and development of Sri Lanka and if there is a way to build Sri Lanka sustainably. Secondly, we will explore the lexicon of biomimicry and how imitating design structures of nature can help solve human problems.
Discussing “Urbanisation within local communities” is
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Moderator: Iromi Perera - Colombo based researcher and activist. She works on land rights and spatial justice, with a focus on development and dispossession in post war Sri Lanka. She is the founder and Director of the Colombo Urban Lab. At present, she is a Co-Investigator leading research work in Colombo for two multi-country research projects funded by the UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), studying human-infrastructure interactions in the context of urban crises and urban change. She works part-time for the Bank Information Center in Washington D.C. as their Asia Consultant, monitoring development finance in the region.
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UK: Shneel Malik - an architect and bio-designer, is pursuing her PhD in Architecture Design within the Bio-Integrated Design Lab at The Bartlett. Developed Indus - a pioneering bio-integrated tiled wall that enables artisan manufacturers to reduce their environmental impact and water pollution in artisan manufacturing communities in underdeveloped and developing countries. Wastewater is often contaminated with cadmium and other heavy metals, and released into the surrounding environment. Instead, channels in the Indus tiles are filled with microalgae that absorb the pollutants as water flows over them. The treated water can then be recycled through the manufacturing processes.
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Sunela Jayewardene - Environmental Architect and Conservationist. Recognized as ‘Sri Lanka’s leading environmental architect’ by Time Magazine, environmental innovation is a central feature of her work. Her award-winning designs include Jetwing Vil Uyana, Colombo Court, Rainforest Ecolodge and over 75 private homes. Now, Sunela works primarily as a consultant for private and State agencies, on sustainable development and rewilding. Among her many awards, she was named ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Sri Lanka’ Echelon 2013 & 2014 and was the first Chairperson of the Federation of Environmental Organizations of Sri
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Pushpa Galhena - She is a community mobiliser and leader from Seevalipura in Colombo. She has been a member of Community Development Councils in Colombo for over 25 years and worked with communities to access infrastructure and upgrade them over time. Pushpa believes in the power of community networks and especially educating children and women groups, and continues to form and build the capacity of these groups in Colombo.
This session will be conducted in English with Sinhala and Tamil interpretation available.
The series continues every Thursday until 24 March from 18.00 to 19.00 IST (12:30 - 13.30 GMT) on these topics:
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24 February - Technology's role in the creative and circular economies
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3 March - Urbanisation within local communities
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10 March - The next generation’s influence on creating smart creative systems for future
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17 March - Intercultural dynamics effect on building more inclusive creative economies
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24 March - Going beyond corporate social responsibility
Register for this session and the next 3 to come here: https://bit.ly/3BadyQw