Welcome to the Big Refresh at LCC – an activities week during 3 – 7 February 2020 taking place across all Colleges. These important breaks during your course are a chance for you to find out more about your College and UAL, complete work for your course, or go to some of the fun and wellbeing events we’ve arranged for you. Most of you won’t have teaching timetabled for this week, but please do check to make sure as not all courses will have switched to the new timetabling system.
Whether you’re in your first, second or third year of study we have something for you. From services, societies or communities you haven’t yet discovered, to workshops and talks to help you think about how to tackle that dissertation or the next steps in your career.
Activities will include creative workshops, 'give it a go' sport sessions, cookery demonstrations, Academic Support workshops, screenings, exhibitions, talks and events hosted at LCC, in Halls and with some of our local partners.
While some of the Big Refresh events will be open to all UAL students, in most cases you'll need to attend events at your own College. Events with limited capacity may need to be pre-booked, but most will be open on a drop-in or first-come-first-served basis. Any students with accessibility needs will be supported.
Download the full schedule of events (PDF 309KB) or see the schedule below.
The Big Refresh: Schedule
Monday 3 February
Self-directed CCW Library tours
9am - 7.30pm. Drop-in. Open to all UAL students
An opportunity to visit any of the Camberwell, Chelsea or Wimbledon libraries to browse our resources and see our range of study spaces, including the Camberwell Learning Zone, Ground Floor and Gardens House. The tours are self-guided but staff will be on hand to answer any questions.
Self-directed LCC Library tour
9am - 10pm. Drop-in. Open to all UAL students
A chance to visit the LCC Library, browse our resources and see the current library exhibitions. The tours are self-guided but staff will be on hand to answer any questions.
Yoga
6pm - 7pm in T304 at LCC. Drop-in. Open to all UAL students.
A weekly Arts SU session usually offered to Arts Active members at LCC that will be open to all UAL students for free as part of Big Refresh.
It’s All Blakademik
7pm - 9pm in Lecture Theatre A at LCC. Booking essential. Open to all UAL students.
One of the hottest, rising live shows in the UK for intelligent, progressive and engaging debate on issues relevant to the Black community. Arrive for 6.30pm and get involved in a discussion on how to enter the broadcast media world and start up your own media production company.
Tuesday 4 February
Creative Futures
10.30am - 8.30pm. Booking essential. Open to all UAL students
Creative Futures is an inspiring week of industry-led talks, empowering workshops, a jobs fair, one-to-one advice, free professional headshots and networking opportunities. You’ll be given the skills, knowledge and motivation to fulfil your ambitions and to shape the future you want in the creative industries. Head over to Creative Futures for a roundup of the stalls, speakers and guests that will be attending.
Summer School Showcase
11am - 1.30pm in T802 at LCC. Drop-in. Open to LCC students only.
Learn about LCC’s Summer School bursary process where you can apply to study at partner arts institutions, including Italy, Finland, America and Japan. Hear from students who took part last year, learn about the requirements and get advice on the application process.
Camberwell Library Special Collections Show and Tell
12pm - 1.30pm. Sign-up at door. First come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
Based on the theme of Nature and Books, from historical botanical illustrated books to artists’ books on the climate emergency.
Wimbledon Library Special Collections Show and Tell
3pm - 4pm. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
A selection of artists’ books and theatre programmes around the theme of Performance to be facilitated by the librarians. Suggested activities based around the collection items will be available.
Wednesday 5 February
Art Therapy Taster Workshop
10am - 1pm in T301 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only
Using a variety of provided art materials, your own creative process will be encouraged and explored during this 2 hour art therapy group workshop. With your permission to do so, the artwork created will be reflected upon together toward understanding and personal growth.
Becoming Me Zine Making
10am - 1pm in M214 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come first served. Open to LCC students only.
In this workshop, everyone will make a zine for themselves using InDesign and print copies to take away. We want to hear about your story and your views of studenthood, providing interesting insight into different media forms for expressions of identity.
Origami Paper Systems
10am - 12pm in WG28 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Explore a simple modular origami system. Fold, slot, merge, balance, totter, collapse. Form and reform, and reform again. Build regular and irregular three dimensional sculptures.
Play with Pattern Screenprint
10am - 12pm in W316 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Experiment with layers of colour using geometric patterns to create fun and unique designs. In this workshop, everyone will screen print onto a tote bag to take away.
Haptic Knowledge and the LCC Library Special Collection
11.30am - 1pm in the Library Learning Zone at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
An opportunity to take a moment to stop and try something new with your research using special collections. This is a hands-on session exploring the objects and artefacts placed in front of us by acknowledging our experience and exploring our interpretations.
Visit to the University Archives and Special Collections Centre
1pm and 2pm. Book at archiveenquiries@arts.ac.uk. Open to all UAL students.
Find out about the range of material held in the Centre and how you can consult it for your own learning and enjoyment! Items on show will include posters by graphic designer Tom Eckersley, a diverse Comic Book Collection, objects from the David Usborne Collection and the Archive of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick.
Wimbledon Library Special Collections Show and Tell
1pm - 2pm. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
A selection of artists’ books and theatre programmes around the theme of Performance to be facilitated by the librarians. Suggested activities based around the collection items will be available.
Winter Warmer Cooking Demo
3pm - 4.30pm in the Canteen at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
A chef will be demonstrating how to prepare wholesome, Indian veg dishes and invite you to make your own. Best dish gets a prize!
Yoga for Creativity
3pm - 4.30pm in T304 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
An Arts SU workshop to help students release and explore their creativity through meditation and movement, accompanied by music and with the opportunity and freedom to stop to write/draw/explore ideas during the class if inspiration comes, and ending with a long relaxation.
Lunchtime Book Talk
12pm - 1.30pm in the Library at Camberwell College of Arts. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
David Cross, Reader in Art and Design at UAL, will introduce a book significant in his thinking about sustainability and ecology in connection with his practice, followed by group discussion.
Breakdance Workshop
1pm - 3pm in T701-3 at LCC. Drop-in. Open to LCC students only.
An introduction to breakdance aimed at beginners, in collaboration with our Dance Club. Join us to try something different, meet other students and release stress!
Creative Writing
2pm - 4pm in T301 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
This creative writing session is aimed at stimulating the imagination, tackling writing blocks and building self-confidence. We will generate writing together using prompts and exercises with the option to share what we have written. Bring a pen and notebook or whatever you write best with.
Workshop: diversify your drawing
5pm - 7.30pm in T301 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Explore ways of ‘diversifying’ your approach to drawing through this intensive practical drawing workshop. We will consider what it means to ‘diversify’ your practice and engage in a series of drawing tasks using a range of different medium. There will be a particular focus on 'meditative drawing' inspired by Zen drawing practices and the spiritual practice of mandalas. All materials provided.
Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event is replacing the previously advertised 'Re-imagining the Future: A Comic and Graphic Novels workshop' event.
Thursday 6 February
Escape the Archive!
10am - 11.30am in the Archives and Special Collections Centre at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
The game requires players to explore both the physical and digital space, finding and solving a wide range of puzzles based on the Stanley Kubrick Archive. Players will discover never-before-seen materials and documents of the most popular movies by Stanley Kubrick.
From the Book to a Versatile Multipage Structure (Bookbinding workshop)
10am - 1pm in W310 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
During this workshop, everyone will produce a selection of hand-crafted books using different techniques to fold and manipulate paper. The workshop focuses on book structures that depart from the conventional appearance of the book with a special kind of binding and folding technique. Working with a wide range of papers, you will be introduced to a range of book-making methods to create a set to take home with you at the end of the workshop.
Wimbledon Library Special Collections Show & Tell
11am - 12pm. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
A selection of artists’ books and theatre programmes around the theme of Performance to be facilitated by the librarians. Suggested activities based around the collection items will be available.
The Filter Bubble: What You Still Don’t Know
11am - 3pm in D115: The Place at LCC. Drop-in. Open to all UAL students.
Explore the effects of antagonising language online through our interactive experience, as well as how our mental health can be affected by the language we use and the language we receive.
Relief Printmaking into Folded Forms
11am - 3pm in W303 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Experiment with wood grain and textures to print your own papers that can be transformed into small paper sculptures, jewellery and ornaments. No experience necessary – wear messy clothes!
Chelsea Library Special Collections Show and Tell
12pm - 1.30pm. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
Based on the theme of Nature in Artists’ Books, from walking to the climate emergency.
Fuzzy Spaces: Swap Shop
12pm - 5pm in the Canteen and Library Lobby at LCC. Drop-in. Open to all UAL students.
A marketplace of minds. We launch you onto lines of flight where bartering and collaboration become second nature. Join us to exchange clothing, ideas and time in spaces that test the boundaries of uncertainty.
The Camberwell ILEA Collection Show and Tell
1pm - 2.30pm in the Library at Camberwell College of Arts. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
See a display of design, craft and studio pottery from the Camberwell ILEA Collection. Handle objects, see historic archive material and talk to the Collections Curator. Find out how you can use the collection within your practice.
Filmworker Screening
2pm - 5pm in Lecture Theatre B at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Screening of 'Filmworker' (2017) and Q&A with director Tony Zierra, linked to LCC Stanley Kubrick Archive 'Right Hand Man'. As part of the screening event Academic Support will be collaborating with the archives team hosting drop-in tours of the Kubrick archive before and after the screening.
Object Stories: Creative Writing with the Archive
2pm - 4pm in T1106 at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to LCC students only.
Use writing exercises to inspire creative responses to archival objects. We will reflect on this work through informal discussion, considering our relationship with the objects and how this has motivated our writing. Please bring a pencil and notebook or whatever you feel most comfortable writing with.
David Hevey - kick your way in
6pm - 7.30pm in Lecture Theatre C at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come, first served. Open to all UAL students.
David Hevey talks about his career in media and how he forced organisations like the BBC to open up to diversity.
Supper Club
5.30pm - 7.30pm in the Canteen at LCC. Open to LCC students only.
'A special 'Supper Club' hosted by Academic Support promoting the benefits of socialising and conversation for wellbeing and collaboration. Refreshments and tasty nibbles provided.
Friday 7 February
Camberwell Library Special Collections Show and Tell
12pm - 1.30pm. Sign-up at door – first come first served. Open to all UAL students.
Based on the theme of Nature and Books, from historical botanical illustrated books to artists’ books on the climate emergency.
Wellbeing Reading List Hackathon
1pm - 2.30pm in the Library 2nd floor training room at LCC. Sign-up at door – first come first served. Open to all UAL students.
A collaborative event in which the concept of wellbeing is explored and discussed by library staff and students. Students are then encouraged to find relevant books online based on the ideas raised. This activity culminates in the building of a ‘reading list’ of suggested books that the library will subsequently buy for the LCC Library Collection. The hackathon will hopefully provide a valuable and inclusive opportunity for students to ponder the meaning of wellbeing whilst making a tangible contribution to the development for our collections for the benefit of the wider University community.