ReCreateUK - Making Exhibitions Sustainable

Aim: Help us raise funds to open a not-for-profit storage and creative hub to house old exhibition sets and give them new life in the community.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Before you read any further, we need your help. Donate from as little as the price of a coffee - any amount counts! Please support ReCreateUK in saving temporary exhibition sets from landfill and repurposing them in exciting and creative ways for local communities in London and beyond. 

Help us raise £50,000 to rent and fitout a new storage and workshop space for creative thinkers to connect and have access to materials for reuse. 

A BIG WASTE PROBLEM

Anyone that has been to a temporary exhibition in a museum, gallery, or cultural space recently will have seen the exciting spaces created by museums, designers, and build companies to bring their exhibitions to life. These spaces have short and impactful lives but what happens to them beyond the exhibition run?  

On average a medium size temporary exhibition can generate around 15 metric tons of materials, the majority of which ends up going to landfill. Multiply that waste by hundreds of museums and galleries across London and the UK - what emerges is a largely invisible but huge environmental footprint. This has been my experience over the course of my career, and in the last 20 years (working to successfully deliver many of these temporary shows) I have witnessed the issues surrounding waste and reuse first hand. With budgets, time, and resources squeezed to the maximum in our sector it has left very little scope to focus on such an important issue and take real and tangible action.

The story is not unique to one institution; all temporary exhibitions involve a huge amount of single-use resources - from walls and plinths that head to a skip once the show ends, to vinyl banners, and non-recyclable plastics amongst other culprits. It’s clear to see what an unnecessary environmental toll they are taking on our planet, but there is hope! Over the last few years sustainability within museums and galleries has become a core priority rather than an afterthought, entering the missions and values of most institutions, meaning there is no better time to find a way to solve the problem. The added bonus here is that zero-waste exhibitions do more than reduce a carbon footprint: they can also save money, build public trust, and spark fresh creative approaches. It’s not just a question of moral duty; it’s a question of good business sense and brand reputation. So let’s not wait any longer in changing how our exhibitions are made and reused.

AN AMBITIOUS REUSE SOLUTION

This is where I come in.

In setting up ReCreateUK I am offering the solution to this problem by becoming the resource that can make a difference. I am also asking the cultural sector to take immediate practical action and mobilise as one to tackle this problem head on. Together we can not only do better but lead the way for other industries (after all is that not what we do best!) in developing an innovative, achievable, and functioning circular economy that saves ALL exhibitions for reuse whilst impacting our local communities in the most positive and creative ways.

A SPACE FOR EVERYONE

It is time for a new sustainable, creative hub in London - so let’s get this mission started!

The key to the success of reducing exhibition waste is having somewhere to take the materials to store them for future use, as well as a working space to come up with creative and innovative ways to repurpose these physical assets.

ReCreateUK is looking for a space locally to museums and the wider community in London where together we can develop a vibrant and welcoming materials and setworks exchange. It will be a place where museums and galleries can save their materials and reuse them if they can in the future, and creatives, makers, and community groups can come to learn and workshop new ways of using the physical assets we have on offer.

Let’s think big! Setworks are not small so we need a large space to fulfil all our ambitions of developing old materials for future use.

ReCreateUK will offer:

At least 2000sqft of floor space for fabrics, plinths, walling, Perspex hoods, lighting, and AV equipment to be sold on at a fraction of cost price immediately saving you money on your next creative project. It will be open to all to visit and get inspiration and affordable, sustainable materials and setworks for whatever your creative endeavour.

We will set up a devoted space to facilitate workshops between designers, makers, community groups, and charities who can benefit from their expertise and our materials, giving back to people that need it most - enabling everyone to participate in our new circular creative economy, reducing waste, and giving back.

Pathways to employment - as we progress and become more successful, ReCreateUK will provide employability placements for young people facing barriers to employment in the creative industry, helping build skills and confidence and giving access to arts and culture venues across London. We will extend this commitment to creating opportunities for local people who face barriers to employment and ReCreateUK’s long-term vision includes a structured placement programme offering hands-on experience across our areas of operation.

We need your help!

ReCreateUK is applying for some grants but there are not many available to not-for-profit start-ups. That's why we are crowdfunding to cover our start-up costs and open our doors. Your support will help cover:

• Rent and business rates for year one until we start generating enough income to sustain ourselves
• Storage racking for our materials and setworks
• Lifting and moving equipment for heavy items such as sheet material
• A van to make setwork collections with from museums and galleries
• Every donation helps bring this much-needed space to life. Thank you for being part of our story!

About the ReCreate Team – we may be small but have grit and determination!

We are a small team made up of our Founder and Director Mel Appleby and an army of freelance specialists and creatives willing to drive the change we need in our sector in order to become more sustainable (we don’t do it for the money, culture and creativity is a life choice!). I've helped to develop and produce exhibitions and projects up and down the country and am learning a lot about our new circular economy for exhibitions, but the key to success is getting everyone’s heads together to create new and exciting ideas for best practice.

ReCreateUK is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), which means we are not-for-profit, so anything we make from trading will go straight back into the business or to grow our community impact.

Please feel free to get in touch with us if you want to find out more, share your ideas for the space or ask us anything! You can contact Mel the founder at [email protected].

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 11th September 2025 at 3:43pm