STEAMhouse was thrilled to recently welcome Flor Dacal, the visionary Creative Director of DACAL (Somos Dacal) from Argentina, for a hands-on lunch and learn on sustainability and the importance of collaborative international innovation. This event was a fun highlight of our calendar of events, and brought together a community across disciplines, countries and even continents, eager to explore and implement sustainable practices in their businesses and beyond.
We couldn’t have been more excited to welcome Flor Dacal for this international Lunch and Learn and to strengthen our ties with the international community, and especially the creative and design community in Argentina. The session was not just an educational experience but a celebration of innovation, collaboration and sustainability.
The feedback Flor and us have received has been truly heartwarming:
“Very inspirating and a great way to network – Having a piece of work you sew yourself and take home, made the event so much more personal and memorable.”
“It was lovely hearing how Flor uses clothes as an accessible way to open up conversations about about the climate crisis… I also had fun playing with materials and contributing towards the heart project with a 25.36g textile stuffed upcycled heart that is currently hanging out in my room”
“It was really interesting to learn about the collaborative projects STEAMhouse works on and to network with artists, lectures and colleagues. The workshops has inspired me to reconnect with my artistic self and to appreciate the work and passion that goes into creating something new and upcycling something not so new.”
Flor Dacal, a pioneer in sustainable design and the driving force behind DACAL (Somos Dacal), shared her incredible journey and insights with us. Since 2014, DACAL has been at the forefront of creating eco-friendly clothing, focusing on reducing the environmental impact of fashion. Their work extends beyond textiles to encompass cultural projects that promote creative participation, gender inclusion, and environmental consciousness. Flor and Somos Dacal were the winners of last years’ Argentine Exponential Design. Creative Bootcamp, ran organised by Fundacion Bunge Y Born and the British Council, and curated in the UK by STEAMhouse. Flors inspirational entry and participation in the programme led to her being one of the winners of the programme to boost the growth and development of Creative Industries in Argentina, and won seed fund capital to propel her vision and the sustainability agenda forward.
You can view a gallery of photos from the fun lunch and learn below.
Flor Dacal has been a beacon of sustainable design in Argentina, leading DACAL (Somos Dacal) to international acclaim. Flor and DACAL’s fundamental belief is that dressing responsibly is necessary in a world in emergency. Mass-produced clothing is made from common natural resources and is one of the most polluting and unfair industries.
DACAL recycle to reduce the environmental impact of clothing, and design clothes to be worn in harmony with the world. To do so, DACAL recover fabrics and garments from tailors in Buenos Aires, chosen because they are noble textiles, made of natural fibers. Flor and the team redesign them, transforming them into new garments for all genders. They continue to maintain responsible, artisanal, quality and transparent production practices.
DACAL’s work is a testament to the transformative potential of combining creativity with environmental stewardship. DACAL’s commitment to creating garments that align with ecological values and promoting sustainable fashion is truly inspiring.
At STEAMhouse, we are dedicated to fostering innovation and collaboration, whether at home or abroad. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs, artists, and businesses in developing groundbreaking products and services. Hosting this Lunch and Learn with DACAL was a testament to our commitment to bringing global perspectives on sustainability to our local community.
We are grateful for the opportunity to host such forward-thinking innovators like Flor and to work with communities driving innovation across the world.
Argentine Exponential Design (DAE) is a program developed as part of the Creative Bootcamp, promoted by the Bunge y Born Foundation and the British Council. Through intensive training and the support of mentors from STEAMhouse at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) and experts from Latin America, as well as the opportunity to compete for one of up to 3 Seed Capital Funds, DAE aims to boost the growth and development of Creative Industries in Argentina.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this incredible session. Together, we can drive the change towards a more sustainable and innovative future.
Laura Veart is an experienced programme manager based in the STEAM team at Birmingham City University. She has been involved in coordinating a number of large European projects and events in recent years. She is currently managing the Urban M Interreg Europe project which is supporting eight European cities to produce action plans to support policy change around collaborative makerspaces, as well as an Erasmus+ project working with six Higher Education institutions, alongside the Ars Electronica Festival, to share and develop STEAM approaches and methods.
Laura recently coordinated an international conference on Policies for Makerspaces which was held in Bratislava, Slovakia and led the programme development for BCU’s Second International STEAM conference in July 2021.
Prior to this, Laura worked in the research team at BCU, supporting academics to bid for European research and mobility funding.
