JUNK fashion is taking centre stage of a new project to upcycle old clothes.

The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, has teamed up with Durham County Council’s Strategic Waste Management department to deliver a Junk Fashion project after securing funding from County Durham Community Foundation’s Youth Social Action Fund (CDCF).

The project will recruit young people aged between 13 and 20 from Teesdale YMCA and Auckland Youth and Community Centre, who will gain fashion design and textiles upcycling skills, vocational business skills and an insight into retailing.

Durham County Council is providing the second-hand clothing for the youngsters to upcycle so they can produce ‘new’ garments to sell in a one-day pop-up shop in Barnard Castle.

A series of workshops will be delivered by the museum’s education team in the new Bowes Centre for Art, Craft and Design, which is headed up by director, Matthew Read.

Expert fashion advice and practical skills such as pattern cutting and garment construction will also be delivered by museum staff and members of This Is Creative Enterprise.

The council’s Ruth Smith, will also share information about its textiles reuse and up-cycling campaign as seven per cent of black bin waste in County Durham is textiles.

Fashion design and fashion marketing undergraduates from Northumbria University will provide an insight into a career in fashion.

Mr Read said: “With vocational training content, offering developmental opportunities to community youth groups, The Bowes Centre is delighted to support Junk Fashion.”

Julia Dunn, education coordinator at the museum said: “This is an inspiring opportunity for young people to develop not only the practical skills of creating an item from recycled materials and promoting these; but importantly to find out more about the impact of fashion on the environment and how to communicate the issues to the wider community and provoke a reaction. We hope that young people will be motivated by the Catwalking exhibition and challenge themselves to adopt some of the design influences of those on show and interpret these into their own ideas.”

Margaret Vaughan, chief operating officer at CDCF added: “This is a brilliant example of young people engaging with issues of waste and recycling whilst giving them the chance to gain new skills. We were delighted to support the initiative through our #iwill funding programme.”

Ruth Smith, external projects officer at Durham County Council, said: “So many of the clothes and textiles put into rubbish bins could be reused and this project will ensure young people are made aware of this issue and what they can do about it.

“As well as gaining great vocational skills and an insight into the fashion industry, this project will enable those taking part to make a positive difference both to the environment and to the wider community.”

If you have an empty shop in Barnard Castle for a week at the end of August or can offer in-kind expertise contact Matthew.Read@thebowesmuseum.org.uk