Ex:Change. Validating conversations about waste and sustainability through craft.

We met at a Print Fair: a lecturer interested in packaging waste (Joanna) and a PhD candidate interested in clothing waste (Wendy). Recognising common concerns within our work, we wanted to talk more. An idea formed to share a relay-style visual project crafting confessional data about our consumer habits onto second-hand artefacts. Titling the project ‘Ex:Change’ describes the artefacts' past lives (‘ex’), the transformation of their identity and value through our creative interactions (‘change’), and the swapping and conversations about them (‘exchange’). It was conceived as a practical project, but the benefits to confidence, knowledge, friendship and resilience in the face of a challenging topic continue to be exchanged. Our chapter demonstrates the surprising number of ways this has developed beyond the two artefacts.