We are delighted to host our first talk of the year at the wonderful Burslem School of Art. We are joined by John Robb, Tom Wedgwood and Carrie Somers.

This will be an open discussion with key contributions from the panel on sustainability, the climate challenge and challenging and changing cultures.

John Robb

Robb writes for and runs the Louder Than War website and a monthly music magazine of the same name. He has written several books on music and occasionally makes media appearances as a music commentator. He is also the vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade and bassist and vocalist in post punk band The Membranes.In 2014, Robb started and currently runs a music writing festival Louder Than Words which is held in Manchester, UK every November. In 2019 he launched a vegan festival in Manchester.

He is also a TEDx speaker and spoken word artist. In 2021 he launched the North Will Rise Again - a big live-cast music event in Liverpool and Manchester which will be moving into other cities as a conference event.

Tom Wedgwood

Tom Wedgwood is the founder of Catching Light and 8th generation direct descendant of Josiah Wedgwood. Catching Light focuses on green technologies, electric marine propulsion, and sustainable community developments exploring the use of bamboo and hemp. Tom is currently developing battery technology with ceramic chemistries. Prior to Catching Light, Tom worked for the Waterford Wedgwood Group for 22 years in Asia Pacific, Europe and the US in various roles. Tom lives in Stone and enjoys coaching junior rowers at Trentham RC.

Carry Somers

Carry Somers is the founder and Global Operations Director of Fashion Revolution. Inspired to act after the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, Fashion Revolution has now become the world’s largest fashion activism campaign. In 2020 she sailed 2000 miles from the Galapagos to Easter Island to investigate microplastic and toxic chemical pollution. Her current work includes collaborating with garden designer Lottie Delamain on a Textile Garden for Fashion Revolution the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. Previously, Carry set up her multi-award winning fashion brand Pachacuti in 1992 after a Masters in Native American Studies, supporting sustainable, rural livelihoods for women in the Andean region. Pachacuti pioneered radical supply chain transparency and was the world’s first Fair Trade Certified company. Her collections were shown at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Week and sold in the world’s foremost luxury stores. Carry has won numerous awards for her work and met the Queen in recognition of her significant contribution to British business. She is currently writing a novel about her textile heritage. Twitter and Instagram: @carrysomers