Conference Agenda

Hand-based paper-ripping collage-making (PRCM) promotes wellbeing through

circular engagement with re-purposed papers as transitional materials, demonstrating a threephased framework (apprehension, confidence, co-creation) that is potentially transferable to

bio-based materials and other substrates. The study introduces paperpeutic, a neologistic term

describing the therapeutic value arising from mindful, improvisational engagement with

manual ripping in PRCM contexts, drawing inspiration from Japanese Chigiri-e and Western

collage traditions. The practice fosters mindfulness, creativity, and community through direct,

hands-on engagement, providing an accessible alternative to the abstraction and precision of

digital design. Salvaged paper is reframed as an active collaborator in the processes of

meaning-making and care, supporting inclusivity and relational design practices. In

responding to contemporary digital dematerialisation, PRCM offers a tangible, material

approach that encourages environmental responsibility while cultivating interpersonal

wellbeing. Beyond workshops, PRCM’s phases offer a scaffold for ‘deconstruct-re-design’

stations—non-guided ripping, disrupting cognitive patterns, allowing for generative ideation

to emerge.