ABOUT | Ophelia Dos Santos

About

I'm Ophelia! A Welsh textile designer and educator based in Cardiff. Through my practice I create educational content, to inform and encourage conversation around climate justice and equality, the over-consumption, waste and psychology of fashion. My textile works also serve as a visual reminder of fashions changing attitude towards sustainability; inspiring others to give old clothes a second chance.

Collaborating with communities, I focus on skill sharing as a powerful tool to explore the complexities of climate change, driving participation and action. Facilitating workshops with local charities and organisations, I demonstrate how simple embroidery techniques can be used to mend and reinvent clothing. Learning to sew is a purposeful activity, that can bring people of different age groups, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds together – giving people the ability to build confidence and practical life skills.

Interests include; colonialism, ethics, technology and digital marketing, Wales and Welsh identity.

Contact me at info@opheliadossantos.com

Education & Training

Creative Agent Training by Arts Council Wales, 2022.

Equal Power Equal Voice mentoring by EYST, WEN, Stonewall Cymru and Disability Wales, 2022.

Child Safeguarding by Children in Wales, 2020.

BA Textile Design for Fashion and Interiors, Bath Spa University, 2019.

Awards

Green Goal Award by Bussiness in Focus, funded by the UK Government's Community Renewal Fund, 2022.

Young Change Maker Award by Plan UK, 2022.

Project Officer

Project Officer at the Glamorgan Archives. Supporting the delivery of the creation of a research guide to sources for the study of Minority Ethnic history. The project is funded through the Welsh Government’s Anti Racist Wales Culture Heritage and Sport Fund and supports delivery of its Anti-Racist Action Plan. Current position https://glamarchives.gov.uk/

Project Producer

Project Producer and Co-ordinator of Madaraja at Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel: Working with creatives of all ethnicities (with an emphasis on Black voices in Wales) and those in the African continent. 2021-2023

https://www.ssap.org.uk/pages/madarajapontbridges

Producer

Producer and narrator of the short documentary film 'Moving to Make It'. This follows my dilemma as a Welsh creative, will I leave Wales to pursue my career? BBC TWO Wales, It's My Shout Productions, 2021.

Watch on iPlayer, New Voices from Wales, Ep 2:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000tlz6/new-voices-from-wales-series-4-2-moving-to-make-it

Workshop Collaborations

University College London

South Riverside Community Development Centre

Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group Wales

Welsh Centre for International Affairs

Women Connect First

Wales Millennium Centre

Ways of Working

National Museum Wales / Amgueddfa Cymru

Bloedd AC