learning experiences that create color & connective tissue.
We see plant dyes as a way to better understand our role alongside each other. While you’ll walk away with skills of plant color application, you’ll also be surprised to discover what plant color can illuminate about ourselves, our relationships, our place, and our habits, as well as issues of economics, psychology, ecology, health, imagination, curiosity, and so much more.
color is a portal
color is a portal
When we experience how plants create color, we enter a whole other world of possibilities, questions, and connections. Every time we have a workshop, questions span the topics of scientific reactions, awe, the economy, the ecology, human psychology, human health, fashion norms, culture, and so on. That’s why we say (plant) color is a portal: it draws you in, and then begs you to ask all sorts of questions you didn’t even know you had. And that’s our favorite part to facilitate.
Emily Pek, Founder & Farmer of Frayed Knot Farm
“Planning and executing workshops with Sarah and Jess has been a highlight of my work. It's a wonderful feeling to be so aligned on vision and goals when collaborating. I also appreciate their drive and passion for creating an experience that leaves participants inspired. They are easy to communicate with and make space for collective visioning. When it comes to executing, they are reliable, organized and thoughtful. They've always had just as much fun as the participants do. They are just as excited to share as the participants are to learn. That is key, I think, to their success and I'm so grateful to have been able to be a small part of that in past workshops."
Photos by Emily Pek from workshops at Frayed Knot Farm using the flowers she cultivates on her farm for bundle-dyeing:
Why Hands-on Learning Experiences?
We have taught about living systems through other means— podcasts, virtual seminars, etc. our own classrooms, but we have seen time and again that hands-on, experiential learning can accomplish in one hour what it would take tens or hundreds of “book learning” to accomplish. The satisfaction of making something with your own hands, the relationships created when doing it together, and the questions our learning experiences conjure up, specifically as we use plants for color, about the greater world and each other are invaluable.
Where is the Lab?
We’re located in Cleveland, Ohio, and if you’re fairly local to us, our lab is wherever you are. We’ve facilitated workshops in schools, boutiques, coffee shops, barns, baby showers, museums, festivals, and more. We usually run workshops within 150 miles of Cleveland, though we’ve traveled a good distance for special workshops (for additional fee). We’re proud to offer online and virtual resources for those who are farther than 150 miles from Cleveland, Ohio, both about color and living systems as applied to life.
What is your the focus of the Lab?
Our current lab experiences focus solely on plant-based dyes and what they can teach us about ourselves, each other, and life. While that may seem simple, the variety of workshops we offer is huge: from dye extraction, to different types of dye application, to foraging, to planning a garden, to upcycling, and beyond. We pay special attention to the audience, the purpose of the gathering, and more to customize a fun, connective workshop that will leave your participants with some natural dye skills but more importantly: a head full of new questions and possibilities.
The novelty of plant color and hands-on activities around the dye pot activates domaine neurons in our brain and shouts: “This is exciting! Something new! Something cool! Pay attention!” and all of a sudden, something we could have read 20 books about just became concrete. Because of that, future connections are strengthened, too.
When we learn with other people, our learning sticks, our experiences are richer, and our relationships grow. One of our favorite things is seeing the friendships that are created or strengthened around a dyepot.
Aaron Jacobson, founder of FAAN
“Drift Lab has inspired our own designs for years, but hosting a dye day together was a joyful reminder that natural dyeing is a truly powerful way to build community, share resources and ideas. So many new connections and collaborative projects were born around our dye pot! Hope we’ll get the privilege to participate in another community dye day soon!”
photo from community dye day event using local osage orange tree heartwood chips for a brilliant yellow.
Elyse Wilson, Middle School Learning Specialist, Cleveland, OH
“The natural dye workshop seamlessly blended science, art, and sustainability, capturing the attention of my middle school students and fostering a deep connection with the world around them. It was an inclusive and transformative experience that left my students inspired not only to be more mindful about the ethical impacts of where their clothing comes from but also with a sense of accomplishment and pride in their creations.”
FAQs
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All workshops are completely unique. We plan custom workshops based on the logistics (time frame, space, number of participants), the partner, and the purpose.
Below are just a few of the many examples to see how widely it can vary:
EXAMPLE 1:
PARTNER: An environmental nonprofit
PURPOSE: A team-building exercise that leads to significant discussions we facilitate (using our deep background on adult facilitation) on seeing ideas that we couldn’t see before, connecting ideas within previously siloed teams, and creating structures for ideas to emerge.
EXAMPLE 2:
PARTNER: A best friend throwing a baby shower.
PURPOSE: To dye onesies without harmful chemicals and have a quick & fun activity.
EXAMPLE 3:
PARTNER: A history museum
PURPOSE: An educational demo of local flora & fauna in the area and the history & benefits of using natural dyes at a set time during the regular museum day for visitors to drop by and take in.
EXAMPLE 4:
PARTNER: A middle school
PURPOSE: To do some hands-on dyeing with the students while engaging in discussion about things like pH, water quality, variations in soil & fiber, while also leading to a discussion on sustainability.EXAMPLE 5:
PARTNER: A local vintage boutique store
PURPOSE: An evening ticket-sales type workshop that uses hands-on techniques to teach how to over-dye stained/old garments to refresh them and give them a new life while building community and memories around a new community spot. -
The price varies dramatically based on the type of workshop, the cost of materials, the number of participants, the depth of discussion, the time frame. Simply fill out an info form with some of that information, and we can shoot you back a basic estimate.
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For right now we are only offering workshops centered around plant color, though we hope to expand offerings in the future as there are many, many entry points into better understanding ourselves as a part of a living system.
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It’s the teachers in us: we do love to speak! If you have an event that is themed around living systems, ecology, the environment, sustainability, green movements, etc. we’re happy to share how color can be a portal into thinking about ourselves in that way.
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We will travel within 100 miles of Cleveland, Ohio, for no extra cost. There is a fee between 100-150 miles, and then a more significant fee after 150 miles.
We have traveled significant distances for speaking engagements with static artifacts to aid in demonstrations (as it can be challenging to travel with giant pots and dyestuff). Connect with us, and let’s have a conversation about it.
We will also occasionally do virtual workshops and talks.
Plan a Color Lab Experience
We love planning dye or ink-making workshops for folks and have held workshops in coffee shops, boutiques, barns, backyards, ecology centers, high schools, middle schools, and universities. We can customize the experience to for your space and your learners.
Attend a Current Color Lab Experience
While we often do private workshops, we’ll sometimes offer our own community dye days or work with organizations or businesses who want to open the offering to the general public. See what we’ve got coming up by checking the calendar below.
Book a Speaker
Have an audience size larger than one of our workshops could accommodate? We enjoy giving talks & demonstrations that allow us to show-and-tell about the power of plant color to connect all aspects of our lives. We’ll occasionally do virtual events upon request if it feels like a right fit.
Shop Materials and Resources
As you might have gathered, for us it’s more about the connections and learnings with creative experiences than final product. It’s the same with our lives, isn’t it: one whopping creative project. If you’re interested in learning more about living systems at home and how they can give us insight to life check out our resources.
