This week marks one year since we launched The Crossover Project. For three weeks, we made space for conversations around waste using art as a force for change in one of the most iconic landmark buildings of London. We had incredible people and brands backing the project and believing in our vision and for that it was worth it. But the behind the scenes was full of doors closing and false hope, of ‘come back when someone says yes’ and it’s important to acknowledge that it is rarely what it seems.

While we succeeded in demonstrating the need and the viability of creating a circularity of materials in the creative industries to reduce waste, we raised more questions than we solved. Is systemic change truly possible or do we always revert back to status quo? Can we at an individual level influence decision-making and create momentum for change or are we powerless against bigger forces? Is there truly such a thing as bottom up initiatives led by individuals with no existing resources or safety nets? Where should the funding to support change come from? Is brand reputation worth more than backing innovative thinking and contributing to societal change? I don’t have the answers to any of these questions.

Maybe we will look back in a couple of years and this project will be the start of something bigger, who knows. But one thing we can be proud of is that from where we stood as a group of individuals in the immensity of the world, we did truly and whole heartedly ‘invest in our planet’. Because she’s worth saving at all costs.