STORE

The PCAI x British Council Tilos Artist Residency on the first certified zero-waste island has just concluded with a great success. This innovative programme, organised by PCAI and the British Council explores how the principles of upcycling, zero waste and circular economy can inspire creativity, collaboration and regenerative thinking in architecture, design crafts, materials and urban design.

This year’s artist residents were STORE; a socially-engaged association of creative practitioners. STORE’s goal is to support more young people from underrepresented backgrounds applying to creative courses, and addressing the social imbalance in art, design and architecture education. The way they connect education, creativity and collectivity aligns with the vision and the philosophy of the Tilos Artist Residency.

Store represented by Kevin Green (STORE’s project manager/ residency lead), Anisa Maharjan (Young Trustee, a Product Designer, with an interest in UX UI design), Elisa Heath (project manager), Yusuf Uddin (Young Trustee, a Visual Effects artist and works within creative outreach) and Ella Markes (project manager, an architectural designer and educator) while on Tilos they had the chance to engage with the community and delve into the Just Go Zero circular economy programme implemented on the island.

The collective collaborated with the islanders, the municipality, and the local primary school students embracing the sustainable philosophy of the island in a creative and playful manner. As part of their residency, STORE organised a series of open studios and workshops that culminated during an open event held in the Tilos main square at Livadia, featuring hats crafted from recycled textiles, dyed with natural ingredients like onion skins and eucalyptus leaves, and decorated with patterns designed by Tilos’s elementary students.

Regarding their Tilos experience STORE quote: During our time in Tilos, we collaborated with local residents, visitors, and the primary school to create recycled, naturally dyed sun hats using salvaged fabrics from the island’s recycling facility, 3K. We foraged natural materials like onion skins, eucalyptus bark, and bougainvillea for dyes, and the children’s collective drawings inspired the cyanotype fabric designs. The project culminated in an open studio event where community members joined the making process, creating a vibrant, hands-on atmosphere and a shared sense of achievement, and a public exhibition in the main square.

We, as the STORE team, felt fortunate to be welcomed into such a caring and forward-thinking community in Tilos. We have returned from the residency feeling energised and inspired by the people and systems on the island, and look forward to continued knowledge exchange across communities.

Ella Markes

Athanasios Polychronopoulos, PCAI founder and Polygreen CEO, and Kika Kyriakakou, PCAI artistic director state: “We are delighted to have partnered for the third consecutive year with the British Council on the beautiful island of Tilos. Our 2025 artists in residence, engaged with the community through inspiring workshops and open studios. These collaborative and truly meaningful gatherings, perfectly aligned with Polygreen’s zero-waste philosophy, fostered dialogue and creativity — reconnecting people with the environment while activating the community in new and empowering ways.”

Maria Papaioannou, British Council Head of Arts shares: Tilos Artist Residency is one of our key arts programmes in the EU, focusing on circular design and architecture, while addressing the climate emergency and the interconnection between urban and rural contexts. Throughout this 10-day residency, our UK artists aim to explore environmental solutions to the issue of waste, engaging with the concept of the island while working across generations and supporting the development of new skills and knowledge within the local community.

We are delighted to have collaborated with PCAI for a third consecutive year on this very special programme, which not only raises awareness around circularity and sustainable materials, but also strengthens intergenerational knowledge and creativity within the local population—while enriching the research and practice of the participating UK artists.

STORE’s creativity, playfulness, and dedication brought fresh energy to this year’s residency, building on the success of previous editions. The hats they created are just one example of what imagination, shared knowledge, and committed teamwork can achieve together.

The Tilos Artist Residency is organised in the context of Polygreen’s collaboration with the Municipality of Tilos.

Just Go Zero Tilos, an innovative environmental project, powered by Polygreen, was launched in 2022 on the island aiming to develop solutions that promote circular economy and sustainability, and made Tilos the first zero-waste island in Greece.

Activity aligned with Goals 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15