Helen Storey and Tony Ryan are working on a huge collaboration between art and science – one that’s finding new ways of thinking about the problems that face our planet. They’ll introduce you to their project, called Wonderland, and the science behind it in this special event at the London College of Fashion.

Wonderland will provoke debate on the use of throwaway products, and will highlight the opportunities for creative solutions for sustainable living. A key feature is their dissolving dress – a metaphor for our throw-away society – beautiful objects that people will hate to see destroyed. Tony and Helen share the vision that drastic new thinking is required to address today’s environmental issues. Their Wonderland project has created four new products – including the dissolving dress, a bottle that disappears when it’s no longer needed and a revolutionary water purification pillow. Two patents have already been applied for and the future potential is enormous, both in terms of the environment and humanitarian development.

Wonderland will explore new materials and products, changing individual perceptions about plastics and challenging people, young and old, to take action. Join us in this free event for environmental inspiration!

Prof Tony Ryan, is the ICI Professor of Physical Chemistry and EPSRC Senior Media Fellow at the University of Sheffield. Tony presented the Ri Christmas Lectures on Channel 4 in 2002, which looked at subjects as diverse as: what do spiders webs and suspension bridges have in common? and what connects the trainers on your feet to a jumbo jet flying 40,000 feet in the air? He is a regular contributor to radio and newspapers and is developing a number of TV opportunities. He was born in Leeds, and got his three degrees from UMIST. He is married with two daughters. Tony is a creative cook, a keen cyclist and an occasional mountaineer with a weakness for gadgets. His research covers the synthesis, structure, processing and properties of polymers and he was in at the beginning of polymer nanotechnology. He has co-authored more than 200 papers and patents, and written a book on polymer processing or how things are made from plastic.

Having trained with Valentino in Rome, Prof Helen Storey began her career in the early 80’s as a fashion designer, building an international brand, selling to 27 countires and dressing many celebrities; Madonna, Cher, Prince, Michael Jackson etc. In 1998 she won the first Wellcome Trust Sci/Art Prize and has worked at the cutting edge of the art/science domain ever since. Her projects, Primtive Streak, MENTAL and Eye & i have toured to 9 countries and been collectively seen by 5 million people. Helen’s research interests continue to be embeded in Human Wellbeing and the environment.

In association with the London College of Fashion

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

Yes