About Future Makers
Transforming plastic through art, design and manufacturing
What we do
Future Makers is a Nottingham based art, design and manufacturing studio working with recycled plastics and technical plastic textiles.
Founded by artist and creative producer Tristan Hessing, we bring together creative practice, material development and manufacturing to develop new products, explore material applications and transform surplus plastics into useful, desirable and longer lasting things.
Why Future Makers exists
Future Makers grew from a question: if plastic is such a significant environmental challenge, where are the practical opportunities for the creative industries to help solve it?
Founder Tristan Hessing comes from a creative and artistic background, developing creative spaces, managing projects and producing artistic programmes and events in Nottingham. As awareness of plastic’s environmental impact grew, he became interested in what happens to the material after use.
There’s plenty of negative messaging around plastic, but little accessible infrastructure for artists, designers and creative businesses to experiment with waste plastic. Future Makers was created to bridge that gap, connecting the creative industries, waste management and plastics industries.
From creative practice to manufacturing
Government funding and investment enabled us to establish our Nottingham studio and invest in specialist equipment.
Today, we combine creative practice, material development and manufacturing to develop products and new applications for recycled plastics and technical textiles.
Making more of materials
Our work starts with the material.
We work with businesses and organisations to explore how surplus plastics can be reprocessed and transformed into new products, materials and applications.
Each project helps us explore what different materials can do and where new opportunities lie.
Changing how people see plastic
We believe creativity can change how people understand and value plastic.
Through our Plastic Revolution programme, we connect education, creativity and industry, giving the next generation opportunities to explore plastic through hands-on learning, material experimentation and making.
Where we're heading
We're developing the technology, partnerships and commercial applications needed to make circular plastic solutions more scalable.
Our focus is on larger format recycled sheet material, circular applications for plastic based textiles and growing Plastic Revolution through partnerships with businesses and schools.
Meet the team
Tristan Hessing
Founder & Managing Director
Artist and creative producer with a background in Fine Art, creative production and project development.
Gill Barker
Marketing Manager
Marketing and communications specialist focused on making complex material and sustainability stories clear and engaging.
Janis Zube
Workshop Technician
Product designer and fabricator specialising in recycled plastic sheet production, material development and making.
Dawn Sansome
Textile Technician
Textile specialist with a background in fashion and garment construction, developing new applications for plastic-based textiles.
Work with Future Makers
Have a plastic waste stream, material challenge or idea you'd like to explore?