UAL x LDF: Future Visions

Young woman dancing in a body suit with sensrors

What are the opportunities for new perspectives on Europe?

This strand takes a speculative and future-focussed approach to Europe.

As the axis of global power is moving from west to east, how will our relationship with Europe develop in a post Brexit landscape?

We will explore new methods we can use to expand on our partnerships in Western Europe and new ways to collaborate with Eastern European countries. By exploring shared values, interests and challenges is it possible to activate an extended European creative community for change?

, Fashion Tech Alliance: Weaving Universities and Companies to Co-create Fashion-Tech Future Talents Partners: UAL, TU Delft, Estia (France), Boras (Sweden), Stentle, Studio Pauline van Dongen, Centexbel, Pespow, Decathlon, PVH, We Love You, Grado Zero, Decathlon.
, Garment Prototyping at TUDelft. is 3dprinted dress Iris van Herpen.
, Fashion-tech Interline - ‘phygital’ - a physical collection composed of 3 raincoats with its digital twin available on the mobile app, MA Innovative Fashion Production, LCF (2021).

Weaving Universities and companies to co-create fashion-tech future talents

FTAlliance is a three-year project aimed to facilitate the exchange and flow of knowledge within the Fashion-Tech sector to boost students’ employability and innovation potential.

Fashion-Tech is impacting the fashion industry on all levels: leading to new processes, tools, and professional roles with cross-disciplinary approaches. Therefore, there is an increasing urgency for companies and HEIs to work together, to find ways to integrate new technologies into fashion and design, to explore the future of job roles, education and recruitment.

The aim of the project is to increase the relevance, quality, and impact of fashion-tech innovations as well as the competitiveness of the European fashion system at a global level revamping the industry through innovative practices.

Partners: UAL, TU Delft, Estia (France), Boras (Sweden), Stentle, Studio Pauline van Dongen, Centexbel, Pespow, Decathlon, PVH, We Love You, Grado Zero, Decathlon.

DeFINE

Welcome Ceremony | DeFINE Forum 2021

A three-year collaborative project, which aims to support the fusion of cutting-edge technologies and innovation with the European fashion and design industries.

Partners: UAL, Polytecnic Milano, Boras, incubator INK, Euratex, IFM Paris, Media Deals Berlin, EBN Brussels.

unbauhaus

Recording of event in July this year spotlighting UAL’s collective response to the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus (NEB).

In a context of uncertainties, turbulence and contestation, in late 2020 the European Commission reached for the concept of the Bauhaus to catalyse new thinking on Europe’s futures. Since then, the ‘New European Bauhaus’ initiative has resulted in bringing together exemplars of social innovation, design, architecture and community action, as well as criticism and debate. As part of this, in July UAL hosted an online event that brought together creative responses and challenges to the framing of the NEB and its Eurocentric assumptions in its key terms ‘beautiful’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘inclusive’.

Co-curated by UAL’s Social Design Institute, Decolonising Arts Institute and Creative Computing Institute with London College of Communication, this event showcased diverse, intersectional responses to these three terms. Reflecting on the ideas that emerged, curators Professor Lucy Kimbell (SDI) and Professor Ramia Maze (LCC) will map out perspectives and positions on how Europe’s futures can be re-imagined, and the potential for creative practices to envision, inspire, contest and create equitable futures.

unbauhaus

FashionSEEDS

**George Boyle working in the studio, photograph: Alys Tomlinson, UAL**

FashionSEEDS, explores what a transformed education system in Fashion Design for Sustainability could look like.

Education is the leverage point for change in societies, and in a time of climate emergency, individual and systemic change in fashion is needed now more than ever.

FashionSEEDS (Fashion Societal, Economic & Environmental Design-led Sustainability) offers a set of tools and resources to help us consider what to teach, how to teach, who to learn with and how far we can change or transform our teaching through the discipline of Fashion Design for Sustainability. It has been developed over three years of research, reflection and co-design by a group of fashion tutors from across four universities in Europe, using a co-enquiry approach to look at the distinctions and connections between our geographies, cultures and organisations.

www.fashionseeds.org will launch at the Digital Multilogue fashion education conference on 1-2 October 2021.

ACCELERATE

Accessible immersive learning for art and design.

Developing innovative methodologies, tools, platforms, and resources for accessible immersive learning in art and design.

Starting in June 2021, this 2 year ‘Strategic Partnership’ brings together art and design lecturers, educational researchers, and learning technologists from the UK, Ireland, Poland, and Ukraine to reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on higher education teaching and to explore new possibilities for pedagogy and digital innovation.

This project is jointly delivered by Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts London (Arts, Design and Performance programmes) and the Creative Computing Institute.

Objectives: to improve the teaching of art and design at higher education in a post-pandemic Europe through the development of innovative methodologies, tools, platforms, and resources for accessible immersive learning

Coordinated by Bath Spa University. Partners: University of the Arts London; Sumy State University (Ukraine); Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology (Ireland); Chernivtsi National University Yuriy Fedkovych (Ukraine); Swps Uniwersytet Humanistycznospoleczny (Poland)

**ACCELERATE. VR at Camberwell. Image: Chris Follows**

Our Visions for Europe

"No one thinks in Esperanto." said once a Polish poet, Wisława Szymborska. Esperanto was created by L.L. Zamenhof In the nineteenth century when the major part of Poland belonged to the Russian Empire. Back then, Esperanto was considered a language of the future that would help bring different people together and overcome nationalism.  Today we are still trying to achieve it. Maybe in the future, we will need to defy the words of the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate and start to think in Esperanto to build a better Europe.

— Masha Wysocka, Alumna, Documentary Photography, LCC

Creativity and arts can show as the way to lead Europe in a new brighter future. New technologies may create a strong artistic community, that shares the same vision and creates new collaborations and new opportunities. Artistic research methods that utilise digital technologies may propose hybrid artistic experiences that help us or question these strange times, that are becoming normalised at home. Immersive experiences that are exploited and build on various digital technologies and platforms may become the medium to explore Europe’s voice and contested social narratives. Virtual and real space can co-exist, connect and inspire participants in a new unique journey.

- Maria Christoforou, Alumna, Printing LCC

It looks promising. There is great potential of innovation around fashion based on creativity and technology

— Jon Arambarri - R&D Project Manager, ESTIA. Project: F T Alliance

I hope for even closer collaborations between the countries. Most of the challenges we are facing (such as climate change and pollution) can only be solved through shared commitment and cooperation.

— Fredrik Timour, CEO, Fashion Innovation Center, Fria Målarskolan Halmstad. Project: F T Alliance

**DeFINE - Instiut Francais de la mode. Mentoring project - æquidem**

The Future of Europe lies in an ever more intimate linkage between all kinds of institutions, first of all the educational ones. From the fashion point of view, the long term trend we observe is a rejuvenated relationship between brands and customers towards more sustainability, practicality, smartness and comfort of use. Caring for the true needs of diverse populations will certainly be a strong requirement in the future and the fashion industry will have to integrate a new mindset to be able to seize the related opportunities.

— Daniele CLUTIER-LEAUTE, Head of European Research, Professor of Fashion Innovation, Institut Français de la Mode. Project: DeFINE

I envision an ecosystem of interconnecting parts with a wonderfully designed new and flexible bridge involving new innovative structures that flex and stretch between the UK and Europe and beyond.

— Dr Michèle Danjoux, Research/KE Coordinator for the School of Design & Technology. Project: F T Alliance

Future of Europe - it is we. People who want to be a part of fair, inclusive and sustainable transformation. People who have a sense of belonging, who care for communities and feel part of nature. People who balance individuality and collectivity, male and female energy, inner and outer world.

— Anna Bielak-Dworska, Founder, The Stable Foundation. Project: Co-design Your Place

Europe is in a period of great transition. Europe is becoming increasingly integrated into its sustainable activities. Key challenges, which will continue over the next decade, include demographic change, changing production and consumption patterns, and decoupling economic growth from natural resource use. While overall the state of the environment is slowly deteriorating, major concerns remain, particularly with regard to the climate crisis and the social divide. The implementation of the European Green Deal gives hope that these problems can be solved through the dual strategy that will strengthen our resilience. The combination of sustainability and digital technologies can be the key to ignite future sustainability and safeguard the European ecosystem as People and Planet.

— Erminia D'Itria, PhD Candidate, Politecnico di Milano. Project: FashionSEEDS

I truly believe that Europe will be in the front seat when it comes to innovations, new business models and new revenue streams for the fashion industry. We have all ingredients to be successful.

— Kim Gustafsson, co-founder of Fashion Innovation Center. Project: F T Alliance

**Together in Europe Testimonial, Nicky Ryan**

Заедно * все вместе * együtt * ensemble * flimkien * împreună * insieme * junto * juntos * kartu * koos * kopā * le chéile * Μαζί * разам * разом * razem * saman * samen * sammen * së bashku * skupaj * spolu * tillsammans * together * yhdessä * zajedno * zesummen * zusammen *

— Nicky Ryan, Dean of Design, LCC

Sophie Punt Testimonial — **Together in Europe Testimonial, Sophie Punt**

My nationality is…. British English Welsh Irish Scottish Other (please write) : ….European…..

— Sophie Punt, Regional Partnerships Co-ordinator, UAL

I hope we will understand that collaboration and sharing of knowledge is needed in order to tackle issues of global relevance.

— Daniel Späti, Zurich University of the Arts, Shared Campus

As a Spanish-English hybrid living in London, the UK’s connections with Europe are at the core of my identity. Keeping these connections strong isn’t just a hope for me, it’s essential. It’s at the heart of what I do as a member of the international education community. I want young people in Europe, including across the UK, to have all the opportunities and enjoy all the richness that our UK-Europe connection brings. I want that for their future because I wouldn’t even be here without it.

— Andrea Picazo, International Mobility Officer, CCW, UAL

Together in Europe: Creative Communities for Change, University of the Arts London x London Design Festival, 2021 Design by Riccardo Righi

Future Visions: What are the opportunities for new perspectives on Europe?

1-2pm Thursday, 23 September 2021

UAL x LDF: Future Visions

Fashion Tech Alliance

Weaving Universities and companies to co-create fashion-tech future talents

DeFINE

unbauhaus

FashionSEEDS

ACCELERATE

Our Visions for Europe

Related event

Future Visions: What are the opportunities for new perspectives on Europe?