Knowledge Transfer Case Studies flipbook

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER BRINGING CREATIVITY TO BUSINESS

WHO ARE WE?

University of the Arts London, Europe’s leader in art and design education, comprises six world famous Colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (CSM), Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication (LCC), London College of Fashion (LCF) and Wimbledon College of Art.

For more than 150 years the Colleges of the University have been at the forefront of research and innovation in their specialist disciplines of art, design, fashion, communication and the performing arts. We continue this tradition today with a range of strategic knowledge transfer opportunities for commercial and non-commercial partners and clients in the UK and overseas.

WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER?

Knowledge transfer is about exchanging expertise, experience, research results, skills and ideas between universities and other organisations, businesses, government, the public sector and wider community to enable innovative new products, services, technologies and policies to be developed.

Knowledge transfer at the University of the Arts London can take place through a range of formats – including commissioned projects, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), collaborative research, R&D consultancy,

student projects and International Knowledge Exchange projects (IKE). Fundamentally we approach knowledge transfer as a two-way process of exchange with mutual and sustainable benefits.

WHAT WILL IT COST YOU? The cost of engaging in a knowledge transfer project needn’t be high and may require no more than a mutual interest and a commitment to two-way exchange. Schemes such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) and Research Council funded-projects also receive significant government subsidy.

INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE?

We would be delighted to hear from you to discuss your interests in knowledge transfer collaborations with the University of the Arts London. If you have any questions or would like to set up a phone discussion or face to face meeting with a member of our Knowledge Transfer Team please drop us an email at knowledgetransfer@arts.ac.uk A quick flick through this brochure shows some of the University’s recent knowledge transfer projects…

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER CASE STUDIES ACROSS THE CREATIVE DISCIPLINES Design

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Fashion

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Media & Communications

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Visual & Performing Arts

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Archive Development & Conservation

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contents page

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Design 3

Images: Images:courtesy courtesyofofKelsey KelseySnook Snook

Southbank Centre interactive experiences

‘

KTP is a really creative and powerful way for the Southbank Centre to further its own ambitions and ideas through collaboration. We are swapping knowledge and expertise which makes economic sense as well as creating something that is more holistic and more interesting for the public to be part of.

Shan Maclennan, Creative Director of Learning and Participation, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre

’

Case Study

The Southbank Centre is the largest single-run arts centre in the world, situated in London on the banks of the River Thames. The Centre undertook a two year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (CSM), University of the Arts London (UAL), to develop interactive environments that encourage participation and re-engage audiences.

Purpose Of the initiative

The Southbank Centre wanted to give visitors to the site new kinds of interactive and tactile experiences to bring an exciting and alternative dimension to the way people see the Centre. The key aims of the KTP were to increase visitor numbers to the Southbank, to raise awareness of what the Centre offers and provide new ways for people to engage with the Centre, ultimately, leading to an increase in its revenue streams, through increased ticket sales and membership.

Outcomes •

• • • • •

New approaches to engaging the public with the Southbank Centre resulted in exposure to new markets and revitalized relationships with existing markets, with a direct impact on membership registrations and visitor numbers The developed of a new design methodologyhas enhanced the Southbank Centre’s understanding of how to interact with the public The Centre’s Flicker site grew from less than 10 hits per day to 5,000 hits, leading to a 500% increase in the Southbank Centre’s online community New narrative environments and installed interactive experiences, such as photo booths placed in spaces around the Southbank, led to approximately 11,500 new individual visitor interactions Participatory design approaches gave the Learning and Participation team at the Southbank Centre increased confidence with their design decision making The knowledge and expertise transferred during the project will be reflected in both Southbank’s Learning and Participation team’s working practices, and in teaching on the MA in Narrative Environments at CSM

DESIGN

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Acme Studios The future of the artist’s studio

‘

Securing a KTP to develop new designs and management protocols for artists’ studios is extremely exciting for Acme and important for the affordable studios sector as a whole. This project will ensure Acme continues to provide high-quality, permanent and affordable space which continues to meet the requirements of artists in economic need.

’

Image: courtesy of Acme Studios

Jonathan Harvey, Chief Executive, Acme Studios

Case Study

Acme Studios is the leading studio development organisation in England. Its current development programme which is part funded by Arts Council England’s Grants for the arts – capital programme, will result in 200 new and permanent studios in London by 2012. To establish accurate user briefs for artists’ studios, Acme recently started a twoyear Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (CSM), University of the Arts London, to review the changing role of the artists’ studio within contemporary art practice through an extensive programme of studio visits and interviews.

Purpose Of the initiative

Acme is increasingly involved in the development of new purpose-built artists’ studios.

In order to continue to provide studios which meet the changing needs of artists’ practice, Acme wanted to develop a project resulting in new design specifications and management protocols for future artists’ studios. As one of the first-ever KTPs in Fine Art practice the project has already generated interest and it is hoped it will pave the way for other arts-based KTPs in the future.

Outcomes • • • •

•

•

An in-depth review of Acme’s current studio provision, including its current design and performance specification and management regimes A study of contemporary art and emergent practices in relation to the role and form of the studio An informed and authoritative model of the function of the artist’s studio and a template for future design, provision and management The publication of papers and the organisation of a conference which will underpin Acme as the leading professional body in the UK developing and managing affordable space for artists Wide dissemination of the project findings to benefit all those involved in the development and management of artists’ studios and in contemporary art practice more generally Arantxa Echarte has been appointed as the project’s research and development associate, and the partnership brings together the work of Acme Studios with Double agents, a research project based at CSM led by Graham Ellard and Profession Anne Tallentire DESIGN

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Food up Front

Image: courtesy of R. Hoy-Priest, S. Marrett, J. Vorosilova, R. Hassan, K. Yen Cin Fok and D. Uljanovs

using fresh design talent to engage young people

‘

For this project, I wanted to make it as real as we possibly could. This meant involving Food Up Front in the role of a ‘real’ client, interviewing ‘real’ 16-24 year olds as potential users, and finally testing the project with ‘real’ people.

’

Jonas Piet, Service Design Consultant, Engine

Case Study

Food Up Front is a not-for-profit network organisation, which supports and encourages people in urban areas to grow healthy, natural food in their unused outdoor spaces. For this project Food Up Front set a live project brief for the students of the interdisciplinary BA (Hons) Graphic Product Innovation course at London College of Communication. The students were then mentored through the process of responding to the brief by a service design specialist from the highly regarded design consultancy Engine.

Purpose Of the initiative

The students were challenged by Food Up Front to produce design outcomes that could be used to motivate and encourage 16 to 24 year olds to grow some of their own food. This target group was chosen because they had been found ‘hard-to-reach’. The students therefore adopted user-centered and contextual design and research methodologies, in order to develop an understanding of why this group was difficult to engage, and then in turn to develop approaches that would address these issues. This resulted in three distinct design concepts for: an innovative marketing campaign, a new product, and a new service.

Outcomes • • • • •

‘The Food Front’ – a campaign designed to encourage young people in schools/colleges to grow their own food as a way of earning money ‘Delayed Satisfaction’ – a product designed to provide enjoyable ways of sharing the experience of growing and consuming home produce ‘Know what you grow’ – a campaign designed to reward people’s experience of growing their own food through retail partnerships The company was exposed to the value that contemporary design practices could bring to its business, and also the quality of design work that UAL’s students could provide The students were able to work on a ‘live’ design project, involving a real client and potential users, as well as benefiting from expert industry experience and mentoring

DESIGN

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Images: courtesy of Giandaniele Asquini

Art d’Inox

Spices & Fruits as Design Inspiration

‘

The company started this Knowledge Transfer project because they wanted to gain exposure to European design thinking. In just three months, our graduate came up with completely new concepts, using stainless steel and terracotta that were incorporated into new designs including an innovative stainless steel umbrella stand.

’

Brent Holder, Business Development Manager, University of the Arts

Case Study

Set up in 1970, the Jindal Steel Group is one of India’s fastest growing groups in the iron and steel sector, with nearly 50% market share in the country, and a major exporter across the globe. During a three month research and development focused International Knowledge Exchange (IKE) project, the University of the Arts London (UAL) helped Art d’Inox explore new ways of working with stainless steel and enhance the company’s product range.

Purpose Of the initiative

Art d’Inox (a lifestyle product company within the Jindal Steel Group) decided to work with UAL on an IKE project as a way of leveraging the University’s knowledge, expertise and skills. The project set out to develop new and innovative design processes to increase the company’s competitiveness and expand their design thinking. In order to achieve this, UAL set up and managed the project which involved a team of design graduates from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design working in India directly with Art d’Inox.

Outcomes • • • • • •

Fresh thinking was infused within the company’s present work practices in a tactical way New approaches of working with stainless steel were successfully introduced and implemented within the business New prototype products were successfully created within a short timeframe Fresh concepts were explored to produce innovative new products using stainless steel and terracotta UAL graduates formed relationships with a range of industry contacts with the opportunity to gain new skills and experience The client gained exposure to European design thinking and benefited from engaging with young designers and their contemporary design practices

design

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Image: courtesy of the MACPfNE archive

Pforzheim 2025 forecasting futures

‘

Students came up with a vision which expanded people’s thinking.

Although forecasting futures are partly imagination, the external partner gained tangible outcomes as the scenarios can be developed into a strategy for introducing change to the city of Pforzheim.

’

Tricia Austin, Course Leader in MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environments, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL)

Case Study

The German city of Pforzheim has long struggled against the constraints of its past, in particular its 250 year old reputation as the “City of Gold”, despite diminishing markets, and the lasting memory of the city’s destruction and heavily bombing during the Second World War. Backed by the Pforzheim organisation for economic development and city marketing and facilitated by Arthesia AG (Zurich) this collaborative project brought students from the MA in Creative Practice for Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins (CSM) together with a group of students from the School of Design at Pforzheim University to help the city think differently about itself and its future.

Purpose Of the initiative

In order to increase its competiveness and reposition the city, Pforzheim decided to change its backwards-looking culture by envisioning new futures based on its present day strengths and assets. A group of 24 students from CSM and Pforzheim University spent two weeks in Pforzheim working intensively on a supervised live project to produce a range of visual-think-pieces, illustrating and explaining a range of distinctive potential futures for the city. The students created six different scenarios that visualised and communicated the potential futures, providing a focus for debate and change in the City.

Outcomes • • • • •

Identifying the main challenges for the future of Pforzheim created debate about what needs to be done to develop the town, and kick-started the process of change.

A physical exhibition of the future scenarios was held in the Pforzheim City Hall and received extensive press coverage across Germany, helping to capture people’s imaginations The city of Pforzheim was given a new way of thinking about their future which can now be used strategically in the city’s development plans A new creative relationship between two globally recognized design schools was created with potential for ongoing collaboration and exchange Students gained valuable networking opportunities and some have since obtained employment as a direct result if their involvement in the project DESIGN

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Images: courtesy of BOP Consultancy

BOP Consulting knowledge designed

‘

This knowledge transfer project showed us how innovation can work in a small firm. The project asked big questions about the way we work overall. We had to ask ourselves ‘How far do we go from here?’ We realised we didn’t have the capacity for large innovations—we were much less radical. We innovated using our existing tools and ended up with something pragmatic which was perfectly suited for our needs.

Paul Owens, Director, BOP Consulting

’

Case Study

BOP Consulting provides research and strategy services to a wide range of organisations working in the public sector, including UNESCO, DCMS, and the UK Film Council. BOP decided to collaborate with Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, on a 6-month shorter KTP project, designed to explore how contemporary design methodologies could help to enhance BOP’s presentation and communication of its research findings in ways that were tailored to meet the needs of its clients.

Purpose Of the initiative

While BOP could readily develop new data capture and research methods, it needed greater expertise in the skills and practice of preparing and presenting its complex information and data so that clients could use it efficiently and effectively. The KTP gave BOP a new information design and data visualisation capacity, providing the skills necessary to structure information into clear practical products that are compelling and easy for clients to understand and use.

Outcomes •

• • • •

Creation of a new and innovative design strategy that gives BOP a competitive edge and supports the company’s strategic objectives to increase income and profitability, by enhancing its research products through contemporary design approaches to information visualisation A newly created design capability which will enable BOP to exploit niche markets and customers in the creative industries, developing their brand and extending their profile in the sector Development of a new set of information design tools, and improvement of the visual skills and design awareness of all BOP staff Provided an opportunity for the academics involved in the project to increase their experience of how design and product development techniques can provide differentiation in a niche market An extension of institutional involvement in context-led information design research, exploring both the processes involved and the market requirements

design

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Images: courtesy of Alys Tomlinson

CDO2 visualising risk

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We believe that new visualisation and analysis techniques are fundamental to CDO2’s success with this new product.

The KTP project is essential to help the company grow its client base and provide the financial risk industry with a well based method to interrogate risk criteria and present outputs that are readily understood to make decision making more effective and efficient.

’

Dr Gary Kendall, Founder and Director of CDO2

Case Study

CDO2 Limited provides innovative technology to help financial organisations manage the high risks involved in developing structured credit products that allow users to manage their exposure to credit risk. In the current economic climate, managing risk associated with trading structured credit derivatives is challenging. CDO2 has been working for the past two years on developing a radically new risk management tool, which will present the data analysis in a visual form and lead to sounder financial decisions being taken by CDO2’s clients. To increase effectiveness, CDO2 needs to bring in visual art and graphic design expertise to complement its own technical IT software capabilities.

Purpose Of the initiative

This KTP aims to develop a set of novel visualisation tools which will improve the functionality of its software and make the multi-dimensional financial risk information it presents and analyses more accessible to users. The project involves reviewing the company’s existing products, gathering user requirements and feedback from potential customers, developing, testing and evaluating new data visualisation techniques and prototypes, and embedding new information design tools in the company through staff training. On completion, the project will give the company a product which has the capability to analyse large arrays of data so that financial risk decisions can be made more speedily.

Outcomes • • • • •

The development of a unique software for data visualisation which will act as a market differentiator for CDO2 in a competitive international market The creation of an in-house design capability after the end of the project, as a result of the knowledge transfer from the College’s research Ability to sustain development of innovative data capture and presentation will gain CDO2 further market share world-wide in all its products The KTP will reinforce the college’s position as a UK leader in information design and data visualisation development Opportunity to gain skills in developing new business strategies and processes as well as applying information design methodologies

design

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Fashion 19

Image: courtesy of Cassette Playa

Cassette Playa ‘Augmented reality t-shirt’ range

‘

The positive thing about this project was that it presented quite technical things to people in a way that was easy for them to enjoy and understand. We also managed to entirely realise a very unique Cassette Playa customized design concept.

’

Philip Delamore, Senior Research Fellow (DigitaL Technologies), London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

Case Study

Cassette Playa is a luxury/street menswear brand started in 2007 by designer Carri Mundane. Mundane, whose designs have a very distinctive graphic style, has collaborated with brands including Nike, Sega, Jim Henson, Uniqlo, Nintendo and received recognition from artists such as M.I.A, Klaxons, Dizzee Rascal, Telepathe and Late of the Pier. A recent London Development Agency funded Knowledge Connect Project, between Cassette Playa and London College of Fashion (LCF) has led to the development of an innovative technology application that enables customers to interact with the brand on a deeper level.

Purpose Of the initiative

The Digital Fashion Studio at LCF proposed to develop a new software design application for Cassette Playa. The design application would allow customers to see a 3D graphic or animation/video located on their clothing when they view themselves via a webcam, mobile phone or other hand held device. The end result of the project was an ‘Augmented Reality T-Shirt’ (AR-T) range, which was seen as a unique opportunity for Cassette Playa to increase its competitiveness, as this technology has never been used in the Fashion industry before.

Outcomes • • • • •

Access to AR-T expertise, design practices and software development led to new T-shirt design prototypes and innovation within the company Development of a new software application, unique to the brand, has increased value, novelty and sales potential to the company’s product offer Development of a new AR-T range, which can be developed by adding new functionality Raised brand awareness, due to publicity received at London Fashion Week 2010 leading to more orders, wider audiences and new clients An increase in consultancy and licensing collaborations between Univerity of the Arts London and non-fashion product businesses

FASHION

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Image: courtesy of Pilar Macchione

NSK Textiles

transformative impact on design thinking

‘

The knowledge exchange with NSK Textiles was two-way. Firstly, the company has been able to leverage the intellectual capital of the University of the Arts London through the skills and knowledge of the graduate and academic. Secondly, there was a chance for our graduate to learn new skills. She has increased her cultural awareness, design skills and employability.

Brent Holder, Business Development Manager, University of the Arts London

’

Case Study

Based in Delhi, India, NSK Textiles supplies ranges of ready-to-wear clothing for a worldwide market. A recent International Knowledge Exchange (IKE) project between NSK Textiles and the University of the Arts London (UAL) allowed the company to gain access to contemporary design methods and processes for the first time, and increase their competitiveness.

Purpose Of the initiative

To increase their market penetration, NSK Textiles looked to UAL for exposure to European design thinking. Over the course of this three-month IKE project, the UAL graduate worked with the company to design a complete sample clothing collection, from concept to full prototype collection. The new collection was based on thorough market and competitor analysis and developed for leading retailers in European and US markets.

Outcomes • • • • •

The company experienced the benefits of an in-house designer for the first time Opportunity for the company to review its design thinking in the context of both Indian and global clothing markets Company and competitor analysis carried out during the project will be used to increase the business’ ongoing market penetration and profitability Exploration of new design thinking was embedded within the company, further supported by the development of a reference set of conceptual guidelines Two full sample collections were created, with some designs selected by the company’s European and US clients

FASHION

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Media & Communications 25

Press Association Image: courtesy of the Press Association

pressing into the future

‘

There are huge changes going on throughout the media industry, and the Press Association recognises that partnerships such as KTP make sense right now. I am sure the support of the Associates and the University will prove invaluable over the coming decade.

’

John Angeli, Head of Content, Press Association

Case Study

The Press Association (PA) has been the main UK and Irish news and information provider for over 140 years. As a business the PA faces multiple challenges from the ongoing digital revolution and the need to adapt its traditional print storytelling to digital platforms. During a two year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), the University of the Arts London (UAL) has guided the PA through this ever-changing media landscape.

Purpose Of the initiative

Due to the shrinkage in traditional media usage and the growth in digital the PA decided to collaborate with UAL in order to keep the company at the forefront of the world multimedia industry. Through the KTP the PA sought to better understand the role of video online and to change the ways in which it gathered, processed and delivered digital content as an organisation.

Outcomes • • • • • • •

Assessment of the current market situation leading to a greater understanding of how the PA should provide news to their clients Exposure to new and innovative types of video usage on digital platforms that could help the PA attract potential investors Changes and greater efficiency in the company’s working culture as a result of examining the needs and wants of their clients in an online environment Development and improvement of the PA information architecture and news gathering tools Development of a social media strategy within the PA now considered as an important new technique for digital story telling Improved efficiency within the PA Content Management System, leading to faster and more effective information gathering, processing and dissemination Introducing semantic web technology has fundamentally changed the way PA delivers and archives news leading to long-term cost savings

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

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Image: ‘Edward and Thomas Tomkinson’, 1784 by Gainsborough Thomas, courtesy of Bridgeman Art Library

Bridgeman Education reaching teaching

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The Bridgeman Art Library took on a KTP project because the organisation was looking for ways in which to diversify from its core business and at the same time meet the needs of educational users for copyright approved content. The outcomes of the project are enabling Bridgeman to reach the next generation of graphic designers and picture researchers, and creates a new income stream for the business.

Pandora Mather-Lees, Managing Director for Sales, Bridgeman Art Library

’

Case Study

Cleverly categorised by titles ranging from ‘Science and Medicine’ to ‘Emotions and Ideas’, Bridgeman Education allows users to search effectively through their extensive library of over 300,000 photography, fine art, cultural and historical images, using a variety of intuitive search terms. A recent Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the Bridgeman Art Library and London College of Communication, University of the Arts London has expanded these categories and made them more accessible to aspiring graphic designers and students.

Purpose Of the initiative

Started in 1972 by Harriet Bridgeman, then an editor for illustrated art books, the Bridgeman Art Library has grown into one the world’s leading sources of fine art, cultural and historical images from over 2,000 collections and more than 30,000 artists. This KTP project set out to develop and diversify Bridgeman Education’s online educational offer through market research, user needs analysis and responsive design solutions.

Outcomes • • • • • • • •

New search categories created related to Graphic Design, History of Science, and Fashion to expand Bridgeman’s sales potential in the Education market Development of an e-commerce service targeting the educational sector and improved management of the company’s website Exposure to Graphic Design Schools – tomorrow’s commercial clients Exploration of new business models for licensing images Review of the company’s present activities, building on existing market research and earlier projects Creation of educational web pages and seminars in collaboration with educational bodies and institutions New processes developed to improve Bridgeman’s digitising practices The opportunity to supply high resolution images that will enhance the visual finish of various projects

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

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Image: courtesy of Xennia

Xennia

Virtually enhancing print quality

‘

With the virtual inkjet printer simulation tool and colour image processing capabilities developed within this KTP project … Xennia is now competing with the major international digital inkjet print technology manufacturers.

’

Professor Lindsay MacDonald, Faculty of Media, London College of Communication.

Case Study

Xennia is the world’s leading independent industrial inkjet technology company, bringing unrivalled R&D expertise and printing systems to the commercial sector (www.xennia.com). This 2 year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) brought Xennia together with academic researchers in imaging and print technology from the London College of Communication (LCC), to explore solutions for enhancing print quality and reducing the costs of product prototyping. This R&D process resulted in the development of innovative ‘virtual printer’ software and production prototypes of customised inkjet printers for novel industrial printing applications onto textiles, ceramic tiles, plastic blocks, and curved surfaces.

Purpose Of the initiative

Xennia initially undertook the KTP to gain an enhanced understanding of how ‘photographic print quality’ could be achieved in industrial inkjet printing systems. However, as the project progressed, the academics’ expertise in ink technology, image processing and colour management, combined with the Associate’s high level of technical skills, led to the development of a new piece of software. This ‘virtual printer’ enabled significantly improved print quality to be achieved through the virtual prototyping of most aspects of designing the print delivery systems.

Outcomes • • • • •

Xennia acquired the knowledge and understanding to reproduce colour imagery in photographic quality through its industrial inkjet systems New software was developed with a user interface to provide a graphic prediction of how variables in the printing system will impact upon image quality Xennia can use this software to ‘virtually test’ combinations of design parameters for new inkjet print systems, saving the company significant costs on physical prototyping A theoretical colour model was developed which has defined the standards by which Xennia chemists now select ‘ideal’ pigments The KTP has enabled Xennia to maintain its position as ‘market leader’ and also helped to demonstrate the R&D team’s cutting-edge expertise

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

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Visual & Performing Arts 33

Image: courtesy of the V&A

‘

Live performance within the collections challenges the common assumption of the museum as a passive place.

Responsive and interventionist performance have the ability to reactivate both the artifact and the space.

’

Peter Farley, Senior Academic Lecturer, Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts London

V&A Museum creative interventions

Case Study

Using the prestigious Raphael Gallery, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, as a site-specific performance space, No Yesterdays on the Road was a specially commissioned contemporary dance piece created in response to the collections in the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries. As a creative intervention this initiative and collaboration between the Museum and the University successfully helped to bring the museum’s activities and collections to a wider and more diverse audience, and provided an exciting opportunity to use new approaches to engaging audiences with collections.

Purpose Of the initiative

No Yesterdays on the Road, created for the V&A Contemporary Collections’ ‘Friday Late’ series follows on from a group of 11 interventions curated by Peter Farley and performed in the galleries of various collections throughout the museum. Such interventions aim to explore the relationship between the museum, collections and audiences. The performance was choreographed by Jessie Brett, a graduate of London Contemporary Dance School, with design by Elizabeth Hurt, a final year student at Wimbledon College of Art.

Outcomes • • • • •

Opportunity for the V&A to work with practitioners from other arts disciplines who challenge perceptions of the role and function of the museum, thus furthering this debate Exposure of the museum’s activities and collections to a wider and more diverse audience Exploration of unusual performance spaces with an aim to make the museum and its collections a less distant and more intimate and comfortable experience Collaboration between performance-makers and curators of the many V&A collections resulted in exchange of specialist knowledge Opportunity for the performance-makers to work in a world-famous institution and measure their own practice in relation to objects and artifacts of global significance

vISUAL & pERFORMING ARTS

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Image: courtesy of the The Baring Archive

‘

The access allowed to The Baring Archive, which is among the finest archives of a financial institution, was fantastically generous and a wonderful opportunity.

’

Eileen Hogan, Painter, Book Artist and Research Professor, CCW Graduate School, University of the Arts London

The Baring Archive playing in the archive

Case Study

The Baring Archive is one of the finest archives of a financial institution in the world, and holds material of international significance, dating from the founding of Baring Brothers Co. in 1762 to its acquisition, as a global investment bank, by ING in 1995. The re:SEARCHING project enabled artists and researchers across a number of disciplines to select artefacts in the Archive and create new artistic responses to these. The project, led by Eileen Hogan, included practitioners from the three CCW colleges (Chelsea College of Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts and Wimbledon College of Art), University of Sussex and University of Central Lancashire.

Purpose Of the initiative

ING (the owner of the Archive) recently established The Baring Archive Limited as a charitable company, with the aim of safeguarding and managing the archive and developing its use as an educational resource. As the Archive is predominantly used by financial historians the collaboration with CCW Graduate School has uniquely contributed to widening the audience for the Baring Archive, and investigating the relationship between artists, archives and collections.

Outcomes • • • • •

Demonstrated the relevance of the Baring Archive within an art and design context, by highlighting the important potential of archives in general to artists Provided a unique opportunity for researchers and practitioners to explore a remarkable financial archive more often used by historians The re:SEARCHING exhibition, held at The Baring Archive, allowed practitioners and researchers to showcase their new work alongside the inspirational historical pieces Arising out of a six-year collaboration between Wimbledon College of Art and ING the re:SEARCHING project has created a new dimension to the relationship between the University and the Archive The project is leading to a series of research seminars and a publication, and possibly other locations for the exhibition

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

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Archive Development & Conservation 39

St. Catherine’s Monastery

Image: by Nicholas Pickwoad, courtesy of Ligatus

the library conservation project

‘

The collection is the oldest and one of the most important libraries in the Christian world, and the aim of the project is to ensure its safe survival into the new millennium.

’

Nicholas Pickwoad, Director of Ligatus Research Centre at Camberwell College of Arts, Univerity of the Arts London

Case Study

St. Catherine’s monastery in Sinai, Egypt, is the oldest active Christian monastery in the world and holds a unique collection of Byzantine and other manuscripts.

The Saint Catherine Foundation, with support from the Headley Trust, funded a large-scale conservation project for the library which has been carried out by world-leading conservation experts from Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London (UAL), and an international group of scholars and librarians from nine different countries. The project started in 1996 and is still ongoing.

Purpose Of the initiative

Ligatus (UAL Research Unit) has been given the task of assessing the condition of the ancient manuscripts and offering advice on the ongoing protection and maintenance of the books. The work includes the complete renovation of the library and the creation of a new conservation workshop.

Outcomes • • •

• •

The completion of the largest and most thorough survey ever done of a unique and internationally significant historic manuscript collection, comprising 3,300 bound volumes The introduction of a new XML-based electronic survey methodology that has made the study of early manuscripts and printed books quicker, more consistent and electronically searchable The development of an on-line glossary of bookbinding terms that is the basis of a unique tool for recording bookbindings to be offered to libraries around the world and ultimately to be translated into 14 European languages The development of a new stainless-steel box for storing the manuscripts, which introduces an entirely new storage system to the conservation world Plans to digitize a large collection of slides of bindings (30,000 images, indexed and described according to the terms of the glossary), that will create an valuable data resource for research that is currently only available to a limited number of people

archive development & conservation

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Image: courtesy of MISSONI

Missoni

unlocking new archive sources

‘

It was an exciting and important opportunity to review many previously unseen items of artistic interest.

Partnerships such as this – using resources astutely – can add extra heritage interest all round.

’

Maggie Norden, Director of Creative Media and Principle Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

Case Study

This collaborative academic research project brought the distinguished Missoni brand and its family run archive together with experts at London College of Fashion (LCF). The project included the digital scanning of rare archive pieces and the curation of an exhibition at The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London.

Purpose Of the initiative

The skills of broadcast journalism and scholarly research were combined to collate a range of fresh interviewees and insights into the Missoni brand, aesthetic and family business. Documentary imagery and the archive were scanned using high definition filmwork so that five decades of Missoni design could be woven together in a way that suited today’s multi-format world. The end result was an exhibition entitled Daring to be Different, an inspirational new documentary and an archive catalogue, all of which featured formerly unseen sources from the Missoni archive and have added unique value to this rare collection.

Outcomes • • • • •

The research project helped to unlock the archive in unique and intimate ways, opening opportunities for future archive exploration and educational insight Digital scanning was used for the first time within the archive as a tool to produce a high definition video showing the Missoni brand’s distinct intricate weave ‘The Black and White of Colour’, a 30 minute documentary, was written and produced by Maggie Norden, featuring insight into the Missoni family’s art history interests and influences and much of their private collection The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art hosted a three-month Missoni exhibition, bringing interesting new audiences to both the company’s archive and the collections at the Estorick The Missoni brand is harnessing the unique value of the produced documentary and catalogue, which have since been used within the newly launched chain of Missoni international luxury hotels

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Image: courtesy of Book Works

Book Works

Bringing Specialist Artists Books Online

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The demand for to access material and content puts the Book Works archive in a strategic position for the organisation’s future artistic and business development.

The setup of a digital archiving system is a task that Book Works cannot undertake internally, as it requires input from a partner such as Camberwell College of Art, who are experienced in online archiving for visual arts with an emphasis on the book as an object/artefact.

Jane Rolo, Director, Book Works

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Case Study

Book Works is a London-based contemporary visual arts publisher and commissioning organisation for artists’ publications. A registered charity, Book Works aims to advance art education and disseminate visual art practice through books. In parallel with their 25th anniversary, Book Works embarked on a 10-month part-time Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to develop an innovative digital archiving platform that will bring their unique collection of artists’ books and contextual materials online.

Purpose Of the initiative

As a result of its commitment to working with artists for over 25 years, Book Works now has an unmatched archive of material that is, in itself, a source of inspiration for new work. Although these works are in high demand both for sales and study due to their iconic and art historical value, they are often difficult to access. The key aim of the KTP is to develop a new prototype digital archive that will enable access to archival content for current and future audiences of Book Works.

Outcomes • •

• • •

Make available previously inaccessible material to a wider audience The development of increased publishing work being commissioned because the enhanced archive with its new classification methods and content management systems will attract new sales customers and new research opportunities Increased awareness and accessibility of the items held in the archive to attract new external funding for archive-related projects Faster retrieval of information will lead to significant cost savings for Book Works Develop expertise in setting up specialised online resources, classifying art and book-related content and digitising artistic material with long term preservation and accessibility in mind through working with the College team

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CONTACT US To find out more about knowledge transfer at the University of the Arts London contact: Knowledge Transfer Team University of the Arts London 272 High Holborn London WC1V 7EY knowledgetransfer@arts.ac.uk

Cover photo and photos pages 2-3, 10-11,1617 ans 22-23: Alys Tomlison www.alystomlison.co.uk Photo pages 28-29: Ana Escobar Design: Egle Strockyte Text: Jill Kovacs and Egle Strockyte

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