The first workshop of our smArt Cities and Waste project was held on the theme of Waste, Innovation and Buildings, Places and Spaces on 28 April at the Free University Amsterdam. The workshop is part of a 2 year UK-Dutch research network funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council.

The aim of the network is to develop a forum for knowledge exchange and debate across art & humanities and science disciplines, with a common focus on waste treatment and innovation. This will seek to develop responses to the questions: how can arts based approaches inform waste management innovation techniques and processes; and how does place - local context, identity, culture, governance - make a difference to waste generation, waste innovation and uptake?

Presentations from artists engaging with waste, recycling and found art, included Tilmann Meyer-Faje, Irene Stengs, Irene Janze and Netty Gelijsteen.

A report on the Amsterdam workshop is available here with videos of the presentations.

The next research-practice workshop will be held at Maastricht University on 9 December with presenters including Prof. dr. Harro van Lente (FASoS), Prof. dr. Marco Scoponi (Ferrara, Italy), Prof. dr. Graeme Evans (FASoS/MACCH), Dr. Ruth Benschop (Research centre of Autonomy and the Public Sphere in the Arts, Zuyd University), members of the Amsterdam workshop including Irene Janze and James Baker, and with the theme of Biomaterials, representatives from the Chemelot bioscience campus as well as city and province waste/recycling projects.

For further details of the project and to participate in the FREE Maastricht workshop, please contact Graeme Evans.