The Eco Prize for Creativity announces its 2006 shortlist today (Wednesday 6th September). This is an award to celebrate artistic work in Scotland which inspires greener lifestyles.

The winners will be announced on Thursday 28th September at an award ceremony at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. The award celebrates work in any creative form which demonstrates flair and imagination inspiring others to engage in environmentally friendly living. A digital exhibition of the shortlisted entries will be shown at The Lighthouse from Friday 22nd September to Friday 6th October.

This is the second year of the award. It is an initiative of the Eco Trust sponsored by the Ecology Building Society in 2006 and run in association with leading environmental group, Friends of the Earth Scotland, with The Lighthouse, Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and with SUST, the Lighthouse on Sustainability.

The shortlisted entries are:

- ‘Bowmore Chair’ by David Trujillo-Farley (Edinburgh).

This chair was designed and made to explore the possibility of creating a sustainable industry on Islay from a native industrial waste material. It engaged a sustainable design ethos, using the high quality waste material of spent whiskey barrels and minimal energy, to create an aesthetically pleasing mainstream product which would eventually be completely biodegradable. The resulting elegance distilled in the Bowmore Chair has a potential global market including whiskey enthusiasts, interior designers and discerning consumers.

- ‘Ecoella’ by the Green Team, Sciennes Primary School (Edinburgh)

This is a positive, life-affirming and fun-loving version of the traditional children’s fairy tale, Cinderella. In performing the play, the Sciennes Green Team introduce the audience to Ecoella herself, her ugly sisters Landfillella and Disposella, the dashing prince R. E. Cycle, and the Green Fairy Godmother. Watch out for recycled bottles which become sparkling glass slippers and the mountain bike used as transport to R E Cycle’s grand opening party for a new wildlife centre.

- ‘Green Roof 294’ by Beth Hamer (Glasgow)

This is a prototype urban roof garden. Farming organic vegetables on top of a nightclub in the heart of Glasgow may seem outlandish. But this ingenious and multi-layered work illustrates the potential for the conversion of urban roof spaces into rich bio diverse eco-systems becoming, for example, wildlife gardens, forest roofs or wheat roofs. This work engages local residents inviting them to develop the prototype into a permanent installation for the benefit of both the environment and the community.

- ‘It’s a Wasteful Life’ by Nick Fearne (Morayshire)

This is a thought-provoking, imaginative play using the powerful medium of drama to engage its primary school audience. The Arts Development Team of Moray Council have developed a tailor-made touring play designed to be immediate, relevant and ‘real’ – no superheroes, aliens or helpful animals! – which inspires and raises issues around waste disposal and our own personal role in greening the environment.

- ‘Shades of Green’ by Tessa Ransford (Edinburgh)

This lyrical and compelling sequence of poems is selected to give a taster of a full series of 40 poems written under eight headings on environmental themes: transport, tourism, oil, health, housing, pollution, the sea and trees. Each theme was originally linked to a shade of green: racing green for transport, grass green for housing, apple green for health etc. The inspiration for these poems arose primarily from the author’s experience as a writing fellow at the Centre for Human Ecology.

- ‘Trash Fashion Show’ by Falkirk High School Eco Group (Falkirk)

This event consisted of three catwalk-themed sections – reduce, re-use and recycle - designed to challenge perceptions of consumerism, promoting recycled goods as a much more desirable commodity. All the outfits were created by pupils themselves from the most unlikely materials including carrier bags, bubble wrap, lampshades, bin bags, motorbike parts, curtains and old clothes.

Kay Henning, Founder and Trustee of the Eco Trust said:

“We created this award to encourage and celebrate creatives with flair and inventiveness who are making positive artistic statements on greener living. We have been deeply impressed by the originality and imagination of the entries across many artistic forms.”

Jenny Barton, Marketing Manager, Ecology Building Society said:

“We are pleased to sponsor this award and we hope it will increase knowledge and awareness of environmental and sustainability issues, and inspire more people to live greener lives.”

Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland said:

"Interest in environmental issues is on the rise again. The shortlisted entries showcase some great talents and some exciting pieces of work. We hope this award will continue to promote the use of the arts as a catalyst for environmental action and concern amongst people in Scotland."

Lori McElroy, Director of Sust., the Lighthouse on Sustainability said:

“We are delighted to be associated with this award. Scotland needs more awards, especially relating to projects that combine creativity and an emphasis on sustainability. This award fills the vacuum.”