“ The creation of an environmental responsibility in the Arts Council programme opens exciting prospects for the events industry .”
WINTER | OPINION
Building impact of magic mushrooms
Team Love ’ s Pauline Bourdon reflects on the use of mycelium , a material made from the root network of fungi , to construct the a pavilion at Glastonbury Festival ’ s in Silver Hayes
Being part of an industry that creates moments of collective joy is probably what makes working at festivals so special . Now add social and climate justice to the power of community and you can ’ t deny the valuable role festivals play in people ’ s lives and society . Countless times , live music events have shown how they can help transform people ’ s habits ( Shambala Festival becoming meat and fish free ), raise awareness of a cause ( Billie Eillish ’ s Overheated conference ) or test new technologies
to improve people ’ s lives ( Forwards Festival Trialing the Give Vision headset to aid visually impaired attendees ).
In 2019 , Simon Carroll from Temple Design Studio approached Team Love to discuss a potential new material to be used in festival builds , Mycelium Panels , a new regenerative material made from the roots network of fungi . The idea was born out of a desire from Simon Carroll to completely challenge what we use , how we work and the status quo of a throwaway society and therefore creative
industry . Most set designs rely on the use of cheap plastic polymerbased products or wood that require fossil fuels extraction for production , which deplete the natural resources and release various CO2e emissions
“ The creation of an environmental responsibility in the Arts Council programme opens exciting prospects for the events industry .”
alongside the supply chain .
The pandemic , unsurprisingly , put a halt to the discussions and project , but the idea grew . Finally at the end of 2022 , Team Love & Temple Design Studio submitted an application to the Arts Council of England to create a space at Glastonbury Festival ’ s Silver Hayes showcasing the creative use of Mycelium panels in a festival setting . As mycelium feeds on agricultural waste , the utopia behind the project was to open up the possibility of using the waste from the farm to make mycelium panels
Above : Team Love at Glastonbury which can be used for the festival .
At a time when events are struggling to sustain themselves financially while also trying to be at the forefront of sustainable practices , the creation of an environmental responsibility in the Arts Council programme opens exciting prospects for the creative and events industries . I believe it is essential to unlock fundings opportunities for organisations and practitioners to explore sustainable , circular and / or regenerative practices without carrying the financial risk . Giving them a safe platform to create and test an array of solutions for a better and fairer future .
With The Hayes Pavilion showcasing 6 Degrees , we were able to :
• Use festivals as testing labs for new technologies and future-led innovations
• Challenge our use and perceptions of building materials
• Discuss the changes required for a green transition in creative roles e . g innovation , sustainable qualification & a greener skill set .
• Begin to develop and understanding of the environmental impact of using mycelium in festival settings
• Showcase a regenerative led future to wider audiences and a network of industry professionals
We are releasing a report and a documentary at the end of November to share our journey , findings and recommendations with everyone that wishes to learn more about Mycelium materials . With the hope that this piece will help de-risk the future use of this fantastic , regenerative and nature-inspired biotechnology .
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