The Interwoven Project

The Interwoven Project explores how the Arts and Humanities can contribute to addressing contemporary ecological and environmental challenges. Supported by the Catalyst Fund, Interwoven brings together researchers from Coastal TALES with staff and students from Wales Institute of Science and Art UWTSD (WISA), working in collaboration with Clare Revera of Welsh Baskets.

The project’s central aim is to co-design a sustainable heritage basket for Coastal TALES’ societal partner, Câr-y-Môr, as an environmentally friendly alternative to the plastic bags and baskets currently used for shellfish and seaweed harvesting. Interwoven demonstrates a distinctive connection between heritage knowledge, local traditions, and environmental sustainability, while also engaging with embodied forms of knowledge and critically examining relationships between people and natural materials.

More than 50 students attended the project’s introductory session, with approximately 30 formally signing up to participate. Participants have the opportunity to learn about the intangible heritage of Welsh basket making and to develop practical skills in selecting and working with indigenous natural materials, specifically willow and hazel, to produce a functional basket suitable for foraging in salty waters.

Alongside hands-on basket-making workshops, the project includes two February field trips. The first, held on 4 February, involved a visit to a local hazel and willow coppice to explore material sourcing, followed by a visit to the Gower Heritage Centre, where students viewed an unseen collection of heritage baskets. The second trip, on 18 February, will take students to meet the Penclawdd cockle pickers and seaweed foragers, allowing them to experience first-hand how their finished baskets will be used in practice.

The Interwoven Project is being documented through film and will form a key component of Coastal TALES’ media outputs. It is also expected to generate academic publications and contribute to the development of an Impact Case Study.

Reflecting on the project, Louise Steel, Principal Investigator of Coastal TALES and Interwoven, highlighted the high level of student interest and engagement. This enthusiasm, she noted, demonstrates the strong appetite for green design and underlines the importance of embedding environmental projects within teaching, research, and skills development across the Arts and Humanities.