From 29 March to 4 April, Students from the Event Design and Management MA course will run the University of Westminster Sustainability Web Festival, aligned with the University’s sustainability objectives.
The festival is aligned with the University’s sustainability objectives through a series of events and will cover an array of topics around sustainability, including cooking, education, cleaning, fashion, health and wellbeing, tourism and more.
This year’s events aim to educate attendees on how to pursue a sustainable lifestyle and raise awareness on health and wellbeing, inspire individuals to adopt a more sustainable routine and deliver an enjoyable event through a virtual platform for all attendees. The festival is sponsored by a range of sustainable organisations, including Olio, 100% BIOLOGICO, Blue Farm, Love K-POP Dance London, Too Good To Go, Rawlala and The Coconut Collaborative.
From 29 March to 4 April, the students will host six events focused on sustainability, starting with ‘Let’s Move It’, a charity fundraiser event including a singalong session, a dance session and bingo, with all proceeds being donated to the United Nations Foundation Solidarity Response Fund. On 30 March, the students will host ‘The Vegan Challenge’ event to raise awareness about the benefits of a plant-based diet and to explore alternative behaviours to reduce the impact on the environment.
Other events throughout the festival include a panel discussion on sustainability in fashion, a virtual demonstration about how to repurpose and reuse everyday items as well as gain new insights on clearing your space and mind during the ‘Sustainable Spring Cleaning’ event, and an educational session illustrating the grassroots levels of sustainability, the causes and consequences of deforestation, biodiversity and natural habitats. The festival will close with a recap of everything the attendees learned throughout the week and a raffle, giving all attendees the opportunity to win some prizes donated by the festival sponsors.
Talking about the event, Festival Co-ordinator and Event Design and Management MA student Paula Pralus, said: “Sustainability is a very important topic in the world at the moment. We all try to do our best to be sustainable when we can, but we do not always know how. This is why we wanted to put together a festival which will show easy steps anyone can take to be more sustainable. We all have to work together to make a change.”
Chantal Laws, Course Leader for the Event Design and Management MA course, added: “We recognise the importance of practical experience for students on Event Design and Management, and taking responsibility for the full creative, strategic and operational planning of an original event is a valuable learning opportunity. This year, with events taking place completely online, our student teams are gaining vital skills as digital event managers that will stand them in good stead as the industry continues to adapt to virtual delivery.
“We are delighted that the student teams have also chosen to align with the university’s sustainability goals and demonstrate their passions for promoting a sustainable lifestyle. Thanks in particular go to module leader, Chiara Orefice, Senior Lecturer in Events, and our visiting lecturers Jon Coventry and Robert Dunsmore, who have mentored teams throughout the process. We wish our students every success for the festival next week”.
Find out more about the event on the Sustainability Web Festival website.
