The project Plastic Justice, a new dimension in art and design education recently received a grant of €197.644 from the Erasmus+ Programme to explore how graphic design and visual communications can shed light on the urgent problem of microplastic pollution.
The project’s objectives are to develop educational practices by creating teaching tools and materials to promote environmental knowledge and consciousness; to create a collaborative learning network by bringing together design teachers with experts, activists, professionals and policy makers for joint knowledge exchange and discussion; to communicate complex issues to a broader audience through design thinking and visualization; and to influence policy on the topic of micro-plastics and their effect on health.
The Plastic Justice project is a two year collaborative project between five Art Universities, ELIA, a European network for professional exchange and development in higher arts education, and associate partners in local government and NGOs. The participating universities, besides Iceland University of the Arts, are Vilnius Art Academy, ELISAVA – Barcelona School of Design and Engeneering, Royal Academy of Art The Hague and the University of the Arts London.
The Iceland University of the Arts and the University of the Arts the Hague co-manage the project.
During the project, students from the participating universities get the oppurtunity to participate in courses and work on projects together online, as well as at two intensive programmes in Barcelona and Reykjavík. A working group of academic staff from all collaborators will work on intellectual outputs, which will be presented by the end of the project at an exhibition and conference. Additionally, a teachers seminar will be held in Vilnius to provide them training and support.
Ragnar Freyr Pálsson, Associate Professor in visual communication and Lóa Auðunsdóttir, Assistant Professor in visual communication will represent Iceland University of the Arts in the project along with students in visual communication.
