At Dance Domain, we’re all about giving our student’s the opportunity to create, lead and inspire others, and today’s Brag Book focuses on one particular student who has done just that… and all at the ripe old age of 10! In this edition, you’ll find out how one student decided to lead her own #waronwaste by creating the first ever DD Clothes Swap!

Prepare to be stunned people – this is the story of an unstoppable young girl with the vision and drive to be the change she wants to see in the world.

Meet Mirabel

 

She’s 10 years old and has been part of the DD community for 3 years now. The story begins 2 months ago, when I noticed a post from Mirabel’s mum on a local Facebook page discussing Mirabel’s interest in holding a clothes swap. She had seen the fast fashion episode of War on Waste, and was appalled by the negative impact fast fashion had on the environment. I thought the clothes swap idea was awesome, so I volunteered the studio space as a place for their swap.

…Little did I know that Mirabel was about to pull on her super stylish, social entrepreneur pants and spring into action!

A few days later, Mirabel arrived for her class with the best suggestion ever – “Why don’t we hold a clothes swap at the upcoming studio event, ‘DD Up Late!’ ?”

 

 

It was simple.

It was genius.

We already had a large number of students attending a movie night at the studio, so why not add in a spot of sustainable shopping too??

I was on board in an instant, but I gave Mirabel a challenge: go home and think about how it would run. It’s your idea, so you tell me how you see it working. How would we collect donations? How would we organise the swap? Could everyone pick? Or only people who had donated? Have a think about those questions and then email me with what you think.

Well… I’d like to say that I wasn’t surprised at all by what happened next, but that would be a lie. I was totally in awe when the very next day I received an email from Mirabel with her event plan.

Mirabel had thought of it all – how it would run, how we’d prepare for it, how to keep it inclusive. What a little dynamo!

Dance Domain’s #waronwaste begins!

We got the word out to the DD family ASAP and everyone jumped on board in an instant!

 

 

With only a week till the event, we started collecting donations ASAP. This time I wasn’t surprised when Mirabel turned up to her class with a big plastic tub to collect clothes donations. When I suggested we should make a sign so people know where to put their donations, she pulled out signage she had already created… because of course, she’d already thought of it! Duh. Silly me.

Over the next week, the donations flooded in. Jackets, dresses, shoes, shorts, dancewear, hats… everything!

By the time it came to the day of the event, the tub was overflowing! Mirabel and her mum came to class early that day, and before her class started they got busy hanging the items up for display. And the DD Clothes Swap Shop was born!

 

 

When people arrived for the event, the donations kept rolling in – we had to pull costumes off hangers from our costume storage in order to keep up with hanger demand! It was incredible to see the collection grow and watch students eye off which items they were keen on. The DD Clothes Swap was a total success.

 

 

And what I love the most (apart from the fact that Mirabel is an absolute legend and a change-maker) is that the DD Clothes Swap has totally lived on!

The DD Clothes Swap Shop has lived at the studio for the weeks since the event, and people have been adding and taking from the collection. I think we might need to get a small shop space set up!  … hmmm now to find the space for it!?

 

The DD Clothes Swap was such an incredible addition to our event and really showcased what can happen when you act on an idea. In a perfect enactment of “Think Global, Act Local”, Mirabel has been able to engage a community of students, parents, and teachers, into thinking about the long-term environmental impact of everyday choices.

I’m so blown away by Mirabel’s initiative and leadership. Moreover, I’m absolutely stunned by the absolute ownership she demonstrated. Everything that happened was totally designed and implemented by Mirabel – an absolute testament to the power and potential of youth.

If you think you’re too young to make a difference, or you’re just one person, then think again. It’s time to take action.

We asked Mirabel some questions about how she came up with the idea and her advice for other students (or even adults!) who might be inspired to take on something big, so read on below to hear from DD’s very own sustainable style queen!

What was the clothes swap about?

A chance to trade in clothes you don’t fit for a new outfit, save some money and stop some clothes waste.

How did you come up with the idea?

When I saw ‘war on waste’ I was really surprised by how many clothes are thrown away and I liked how they had the girls do a clothes swap. When ‘DD Up Late!’ came up I thought it would be the perfect place to have a swap.

What was the hardest part?

It was all pretty easy! I talked to Miss Elena and we sent some emails working out the details. Miss Elena shared it and everyone jumped on board.

How did you get into thinking about sustainability and the environment?

When I learnt about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch it made me start thinking about recycling and started doing more at home. The more you do it the easier it becomes. I’ve learnt so much about how to recycle different things, for example, you can recycle chip packets at Coles!

What advice would you give to someone else who wants to make positive changes for the environment?

Just start, do something small like your lunch box, and talk about it with your friends, family & teachers.

 

Let’s give Mirabel a massive round of applause for being a leader and change-maker. With kids like Mirabel out there, the future is looking bright!

Oh… and that photo of Mirabel at the start of this post? That’s her showing off the cool outfit she picked up at the swap!
Want to learn more? You can find out more about the #waronwaste here!