The Adventures of Sasa and Esi is a dance theatre that takes its story reference from two short Ghanaian folktale stories the Adventures of Sasa and Esi, and the Witch of the Forest which were written by Martin Otchere Owusu and directed by Johnson Kwaku Edu and Latipher Amma Osei. The production was staged at the Amu Theatre of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Education (UEW), Winneba from the 3^rd to the 6^th of November, 2016. Though the play was written for children it appeals to adults due to the lessons embedded in it. Both plays were adapted by the authors to include Ghanaian folk and popular contemporary choreographed dances and theatrical special effects make-up as key theatrical elements to drive the production and to project the element of spectacle. The style of presentation was naturalism and realism. The production also served as a learning platform for the cast and crew who were students in the Department of Theatre Arts, UEW as they participated in it. Through experimentation, experiences, and concept development, the directors’ style and professional background in technical theatre and creative dance heightened the element of naturalism and realism to underscore the theme of the play, understanding, and interpretation of the play.Full article

The tensile strength is an imperative properties and essential indications consumers’ look out for in purchasing a quality fabric. The objective of this study was to examine key soap on tensile strength in three washing cycles of selected Printex fabrics in Ghana. Quantitatively, the study adopted both experimental and factorial research designs. Materials for the study consisted of three fabrics with black prints and white as base colour were purchased from the market. These three fabrics had the same designs but two had different fabric finishes and the third one had no finish (plain, embossed and plisse). Six yards each of the Printex black and white fabrics with embossed, plisse and a third one which did not have any special fabric finish were used for the study. Key soap purchased from the Ghanaian market, and standard soap from Ghana Standard Authority was used for the study. Purposive and simple random techniques were used to select materials for the study. The main research instrument for the testing tensile strength was Universal tensile testing machine. Data were analysed with both descriptive and inferential statistics. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis formulated to guide the study. The study revealed that continuous washing had degrading effects on the tensile strength. The implication is that continuous washing weakens the internal strengths of fabrics which cause them to fail or weakens their resistance to stress test. The study also found that continuous washing had degrading effects on the tensile strength of the selected fabrics. It is recommended that the Ghana Standards Authority should encourage soap producers to get their chemical compositions as close to those of the standardised soap as possible.Full article

The last three decades have witnessed in Europe an increasing interest from institutions, and creative communities in independent research connected to crafting, DIY, maker culture, and design activism. A new generation of designers has focused on the experimentation of processes, materials, and technologies used as a vehicle for socio-political and environmental messages and as the starting point of solid narrative projects. This paper aims to analyse this phenomenon inside the niche of Collectible Design, a field in recent years of great interest by galleries and institutions for its ability to embrace material and technological research as well as craftsmanship and art. We investigate the phenomenon, through a series of interviews with designers such as Shahar Livne, Eugenia Morpurgo, Pleun van Dijk, Tellurico, and Standard 404, selected for their ability to use experimental materials and technologies, as communicative media for reflections on systemic issues.Full article

This study seeks to collect, recycle and repurpose fabrics waste into decorative household items to reinforce the concept of recycling as a viable alternative to indiscriminate dumping that leads to environmental pollution. It has been observed that garment producers, fashion designers, dressmakers, seamstresses and tailors generate several quantities of fabric waste which are initially piled up to occupy space at their workshops then later disposed indiscriminately. For this studio-based study, an average of 300kg of fabric remnants which are generated by the 30 workshops of garment producers in four suburbs of Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana were collected. The fabric waste was sorted into types, sizes, colours and textures, out of the 300kg collected, approximately 250kg were identified as cotton and the remaining 50kg were an assortment of polyester, nylon, rayon, wool, acetate and sateen. It also came out that the garment producers lack adequate knowledge on waste management, hence the indiscriminate disposal of the waste fabrics. The need for effective means of recycling without adverse repercussion to the environment was found critical. Based on the idea of recycle art, 280 kilograms of the fabric waste collected were converted into interior decoration pieces such as a pair of footrest, a set of arm rest, a set of chair-back, Others include a set of table mats, a set of placemats, a door mat, and a set of curtains and window blinds. It is anticipated that such craft activities will serves as pointers to craft people about the potential of waste fabrics as cheaper raw materials for diverse products and by extension help to reduce the waste management problems associated with fabric waste.Full article

Street vending is a vital part of global urban life and not a local phenomenon. It can be found in various countries and forms; stationary and mobile. In Egypt, street vendors’ activities are considered illegal, an image of backwardness, blocking investors and tourism. This study aims at monitoring and investigates the female street vendors' role in placemaking in Heliopolis, Cairo. Challenging the authoritarian illegality aspect, literature review, observational walks, and spontaneous interviews are adopted in obtaining data and evaluating the female street vendors’ role in constructing a sense of place and identity. Female street vendors' expression, displaying arrangement, socio-cultural identities and chancy events create livable public places, territorial identities and a sense of place.Full article