This workshop reflects on the garments that British consumers donate to charity. Each year, millions of tonnes of our used clothes are shipped to sub-Saharan Africa, where they are sold in street markets. In parts of West Africa, these are called Dead White Men’s Clothes.

In this workshop, participants will learn about this global trade, before producing their own Dead White Men: small zombies made from recycled clothes. Using pre-prepared wooden armatures, participants will style their own figurines with scraps of recycled clothes. (These have been sourced from a textile recycling plant – intercepted from their passage to the Global South). The process will be fun and simple – with immediate results.

These miniature monsters will be exhibited during the 2023 British Textile Biennial. Participants are invited to add their monsters to this exhibition – to become credited artists in this growing artwork. Alternatively, they can take their monster home if they would prefer.