Facilitators
Thomas Ugo Ermacora. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR. FATHER. EXPLORER.
Thomas is a passionate dano-italian urbanist and geographer acting mostly as a creative social entrepreneur focused on sustainability. After working with architecture and planning professions on Zero Carbon projects in Europe, he shifted towards a trust in participatory design practices and started CLEAR VILLAGE to rethink space, one village at a time and focus on upgrading the existing with communities. Thomas also runs the transition consultancy Etikstudio to promote sensible lifestyles through experience platforms such as exhibits and events for which he currently acts as Strategy & Creative Director, involving curatorial practice and concept design. One of the main outcomes has been a travelling platform exhibition on cycling culture called Dreams on Wheels in collaboration with Gehl Architects and Biomega amongst others. It has been touring for 8 years now and been seen by over a million people since it was selected as official COP15 prelude and supported by the Danish Foreign Ministry. Beyond these activities he has owned an organic slowfood-inspired restaurant, a webtv production company and acts as business angel or board member in a few early stage green start-ups such as Ethical Economy ltd making value-based performance tools, the Material Connexion Award 2009 nominee Cellucomp ltd and Inhabitat.com , the largest online sustainable design publication. Regional Ambassador for INDEX, member of Bioneers and Royal Society of Arts Fellow, he was recently appointed advisor to the RIBA Building Futures think tank. Thomas is the Founder of CLEAR VILLAGE.
Karsten Stampa. ECONOMIST. SHEPHERD. CURIOUS.
After studying economics in Berlin, Karsten started his professional life as a business consultant for several German financial institutions in strategic management, re-engineering, financial planning and control. During his master studies in Berlin and Cambridge he concentrated on how to control clusters of creative industries and sustainable creative businesses, the reason he came in touch with CLEAR VILLAGE. Within the organisation, Karsten is responsible for the organisational development and also a member of the CLEAR VILLAGE Think Team, where he concentrates on the economic side of a CLEAR VILLAGE – how to set up, develop and use regional economic development approaches to foster sustainable (economic) communities.
Edmund Colville. Edmund Colville Landscape Designs.
Edmund Colville designs unique gardens both domestically and commercially. Having come from a fine art background, he was inspired to design gardens through a deep empathy with nature and a desire to create beautiful spaces. Having trained in the History of Art and Architecture at Manchester University and 3D design at Camberwell College of Art, Edmund then trained in Garden Design at the Inchbald School of Design. He also obtained a General Certificate in Horticulture from the Royal Horticultural Society and has a qualification in Permaculture Design. Edmund has worked on many gardens in Cape Town, South Africa as well as here in England. This has given him a good experience in dealing with gardens in any type of climate.
Naomi Kashiwagi. VIVIFIER. Oak Tree/Kashiwagi, Maker of Experimental Actions.
Naomi is a Celto-Japanese maker of experimental actions. After studying Fine Art and Art Gallery and Museum Studies in Manchester (including exchanges to the Academy of Fine Arts Venice and Tokyo University of Art and Music), she now works as an artist and as Student Engagement Coordinator at Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum. She was Host Producer at Whitworth Art Gallery for Performing Rights Society Foundation (PRSF) for the Music project ‘New Music Plus North West 2010‘. Naomi now continues to produce and commission new music to animate exhibitions, collections and archives.
Naomi’s art practice playfully looks into the intersections and impacts of visual art, music and language upon one another and the cyclical nature of obsolescence and technological innovation. She looks for connections between objects, ideas and functions and explores the potential of things beyond their prescribed uses. The way she works is also a reflection of her identity, an intrinsic fusion of two cultures, British and Japanese. Her response to “what can art do” was selected by Arts Council England to be included in their 10 year vision. She was also cited in the European Policy document ‘TILLTEUROPE: Creative Clash: Transforming Organisations with the Arts: Artistic Interventions to stimulate innovation, sustainability and inclusivity.’
