We Are Trash Club
From an online conversation, to a global creative community
Eunice Pais | Photographer + Co-Host of Trash Club Porto, Portugal
We are the global community of conscious creatives
Trash Club is a community of conscious creatives brought together by our shared vision to make the creative industries more inclusive, sustainable and equitable, which we achieve by advocating for social, racial and climate justice.
Our journey began in 2021 with an online conversation to unite and positively impact our practice and well-being. Co-founded by Matthew Needham and Katy Mason, the two envisioned creating a space for consciously driven creatives to share, co-learn, and connect. Matthew Needham is a British-Czech designer best known for contributing to sustainable practice within the British fashion industry. He is also the programme-wide sustainability lead for fashion at Central Saint Martins. Katy Mason is an artist and jewellery maker whose work questions the value of everyday objects. She is also a co-founder of the Berlin-based brand Soup Archive.
We share our message worldwide through establishing Trash Club Hubs. These local communities in global locations can be found in Boston, USA; Jaipur, India; London, UK; Porto, Portugal; Shanghai, China; Eindhoven, The Netherlands; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Seeing our community blossom beyond borders reassures us of the much-needed change we all want. Read more about Hubs here.
As we come together in online and in-person settings, we engage with each other as a Trash Club family. Every fortnight, we tune into Discord for our ‘Trash Talk’, an open discussion from conversations about trusting the void to cultivate growth.
Behind the Bins Podcast Episode 1 Growth. Featuring Aswan Magumbe, Katy Mason and Paul Ayre (2023)
Throughout the year, we host workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions and mentoring sessions (starting this February) where we have the opportunity to learn from each other and build interpersonal connections. Last year, we created a podcast, Behind the Bins, which invited Trash Club members and friends to discuss topics surrounding our core values: Consciousness, Responsibility, Authenticity and People. Behind the Bins has expanded to an online blog platform where we write and report on these same value systems and are hoping to reflect this in a journal we are starting this year.
“It’s a place to learn and grow but also for a concerned, empathetic designer to feel less alone.”
Bhaavya Goenka, Fashion Designer + Hub Host of Trash Club Jaipur, India
Nowshin Prenon, London, UK
Gina Grünwald, London, UK
Hanna Linnéa Ryd, Gothenburg, Sweden
Tasnim Nahar, London, UK
Justin Moore, London, UK
Rahemur Rahman, London, UK
Jennifer Drougett Espinosa, London, UK
Flyn Vibert, Berlin, Germany
Cassie Quinn, London, UK
Kuweni Dias Mendis, Beechmont, QLD Australia + Bibile, Sri Lanka
Nina Birri, Berlin, Germany
Julian Ellis-Brown, London + Bristol, UK
Trash Club x Kantamanto Social Club Exhibition, 2023
Sara Mikorey-Shpigler, London, UK + Munich, Germany
Katy Mason, London, UK
Katherine Soucie, London, UK
Jude Hinojosa, London, UK
Akshit Bangar, New Delhi, India
Anabel Poh, UNCOLOUR Studio, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Matthew Needham, London, UK
Borbala Ferencz, Budapest, Hungary + Târgu Mureș, Romania
Reiss Dendie, London, UK
Paul Ayre, London, UK
Jane Nodine, South Carolina, USA
Liwen Liang, London, UK + Jingdezhen, China
Sophie Ruane, Katy Mason, Jasmine Febbraro, Soup Archive, London, UK + Swansea, UK + Shanghai, China
Emma Hamshare, Kent, UK
Christiane Matz, London, UK
Donna Choi, London, UK + Hong Kong, China
Ellen Rock, London, UK + Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
“Having a diverse cohort and a space to speak freely with peers is liberating.”
Rachel Freire, Artist + Designer + Trash Club Hub Host of Santiago de Compotsela, Spain
Nataliya Belova + Lucy Siegler, London, UK + South Carolina, USA
Kayla Antonevich, Boston, USA
Orsola de Castro, London, UK
Martina Spetlova, London, UK
Malu Eckhardt, Berlin, Germany
Julia Dotson, London, UK + South Carolina, USA
Joshua James Small
Emma Blythe, London, UK
Esmée E, Chesire, UK
Eunice Pais, Porto, Portugal
Lucy Jagger, London, UK
Chekii Harling, London, UK
Scar Kennedy, London, UK
Mariana Martins de Oliveira, Porto, Portugal
“Trash Club, for me, is the space where creative entrepreneurs find each other when the systems in place that are meant to support us don’t. We’ve somehow managed to create a community and network of artists, makers and designers who all help each other grow through collaboration, conversation, and creation.”
Rahemur Rahman, London, UK
Meet our Members
Our Values
At the heart of Trash Club lies our core values, represented by the acronym C-R-A-P: Consciousness, Responsibility, Authenticity, and People. These pillars form the foundation of our community's values and guide us in fighting for systemic justice and environmental stewardship through art and design
Consciousness
The ‘C’ reminds us of the importance of self-care. By applying mindful thinking to our work and reflecting between projects, which we refer to as trusting ‘The Void’, we can practice a healthy work-life balance and respect the well-being of others. It’s crucial to take the time for self-care so that we can continue to create.
Responsibility
The ‘R’ emphasises the importance of values and ethics when undertaking projects and developing best practice. We believe it is our responsibility to consider the environmental, cultural, and social impacts of our work. By doing so, we can ensure that we make a positive contribution to the world around us.
Authenticity
The ‘A’ encourages us to remain honest with ourselves, our values, and our unique viewpoints. Authentic expression involves aligning our inner beliefs with our practices, even in the face of opposition. By doing this, we can communicate individual ideas and celebrate work that is genuine.
People
The ‘P’ highlights the importance of community, collaboration, and co-existence. By working together, we can advocate greater systemic change within the industry, actively dismantling colonial viewpoints, biases, and practices. Let’s appreciate the essential role that relationships have for our collective growth as both creatives and human beings.
