Stanley Picker Creators Academy
Summary
From 17th Oct- 19th Nov 2016, the Stanley Picker Gallery was transformed into an alternative educational and ’creative’ work environment, The Stanley Picker Creators Academy (SPCA). During this period the SPCA hosted a curated programme of talks, community workshops, newly concieved educational programmes and a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules from Kingston University.
Supported by
The exhibition was supported by the Stanley Picker Gallery, The Stanley Picker Fund, Kingston University and Vitra.
Description of project
As the result of my Stanley Picker Design Fellowship research from (2014-16), I transformed the Stanley Picker gallery for a period of five weeks into the Stanley Picker Creators Academy (SPCA).
Over recent years there has been a global rise in new types of creative working environments, from co-working and creative office hub spaces as seen in Wework and Second Home in the UK, to large-scale global workplaces of media organisations, such as Google and Facebook.
Terms like Collaboration, Sharing and Community are commonly found in the branding and mission statements of organisations that provide or facilitate such working spaces. These reflect a certain ethos, generally focused around how they support and incubate individuals to work more efficiently, create more professional content, and ultimately access more lucrative opportunities and financial capital.
Collaboration, Sharing and Community were the working values that are reconsidered as part of the SPCA. By staging the spatial and organisational features normally found in creative working environments, the SPCA examined how these terms are used by organisations to incubate creativity and suggest possible ways that they can be refocused and repurposed in order to create alternative forms of capital.
Designed together with architect Inigo Minns, the SPCA included different zones for work, booths for meeting and conference calling, brainstorming and hot-desking stations, fast Internet connection together with areas for relaxing and socialising. Additionally a key organizational and structural feature of the SPCA was the operation of an ‘Open Use’ policy. The policy allowed for a free and ‘open’ space available for Kingston University staff, students, as well as the general public. The aim of which was to investigate the structural and relational role that the gallery as a situated organization could play as a mediator of forms of knowledge.
Alongside the many spatial features, creative work organisations often run events programmes for the purpose of general inspiration and staff development. The SPCA reflected this with its own ‘carefully curated programme’ to host a series of public activities; including talks, yoga classes and various networking events. Additionally the SPCA explored the core values of Collaboration, Sharing and Community through workshops for local charitable organisations, schools and community groups as well as Kingston University students and staff.
Type of work
1. Solo Exhibition: Mixed Media: Set Design, Graphics, Video. 2. Curated Programme
Published in
17 October – 19th November 2016 1. Solo Exhibition Exhibition of work following a two-year resaerch fellowship at the Stanley Picker Gallery and Kingston University. 2. Curated Programme Curated programme of workshops, talks, educational events and happenings. The following is a small selection of the overall programme. Note: this does not include the programming that took place under the ’Open Use’ Policy.
Wed, 19 October: 1. CONDITION OF CARE Workshop led by Jana Scholze (Associate Professor, Curating Contemporary Design) and Simon Fleury (V&A Conservator), who run the wider ‘The Duty of Care’ project 2. THE REPUTATION ECONOMY: ALESSANDRO GANDINI IN CONVERSATION WITH HEIDI SEETZEN The first of three SPCA curated evening talks, featuring Dr Alessandro Gandini (Lecturer in Digital Media Management and Innovation, King's College London) and Dr Heidi Seetzen (Senior Lecturer, Schools of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Kingston University).
Thurs, 20 October: 3. NETWORKING EVENT FOR KINGSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Presentations and networking with local business representatives and Onkar Kular.
Sat, 22 Oct: FRIENDS, FRIENDS Social media workshop based on friendship and care for the Kingston Young Carers group. Workshop led by Onkar Kular.
Mon, 24 October: DOING SOCIOLOGY OF CREATIVE SOCIETY: WHERE ARE CREATIVE PRACTICES LOCATED? Department of Criminology and Sociology: Creative Societies Module Introductory lecture by module leader Dr Egle Rindzeviciute (Lecturer Criminology Sociology, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences), followed by guided tour of the exhibition by Onkar Kular.
Wed, 26 October, 17:00 – 19:00: WHAT IT MEANS TO WORK Please join us for the second of three SPCA curated evening talk and discussion with Jack Self, moderated by Andrew Clancey (Professor of Architecture, Kingston University) & Onkar Kular .
Thu, 27 October, 17:00 – 19:00: NETWORKING EVENT WITH KINGSTON YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS CLUB Thu, 27 October, 17:00 – 19:00 Networking event led by Kingston-area young entrepreneurs.
Wed, 2 November, 13:00 – 17:00: SPOKEN WORD SOCIETY BRAINSTORMING SESSION Kingston University Spoken Word Society meet to set up the future activities of the group.
Mon, 7 November, 11:00 – 13:00: LAUNCH OF 'PUBLICATION PROJECT' FOR FINE ART UNDERGRADUATES Workshop led by Mark Harris (Associate Professor in Fine Art, Kingston University).
Wed, 9 November: NOTIONS ON THE CURATORIAL: A ROUNDTABLE Roundtable discussion with David Falkner (Director, Stanley Picker Gallery), Stella Bottai (Programme Curator, Stanley Picker Gallery), Jana Scholze (Associate Professor, Curating Contemporary Design), Onkar Kular (via Skype) and KU Curating Contemporary Design students. The discussion will consider how the term ‘curated’ is being ubiquitously used outside the traditional environment (coworking spaces as one example) of the gallery and connecting this to the core values of the exhibition – Collaboration, Sharing and Community.
Link to web site
http://www.stanleypickergallery.org/programme/stanley-picker-creators-academy/
http://www.stanleypickergallery.org/fellowships/onkar-kular/
http://www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/blog-post/the-future-of-workspace-in-kingston/
https://www.artrabbit.com/events/onkar-kular-stanley-picker-creators-academy http://fada.kingston.ac.uk/news/stanley-picker-creators-academy/
http://fada.kingston.ac.uk/news/category/stanley-picker-gallery/
http://www.thecubelondon.com/portfolio/see-onkar-kular-stanley-picker-creators-academy/
https://www.artslant.com/ny/events/show/432022-stanley-picker-creators-academy
http://newexhibitions.com/exhibitions/id=662®ion=0&exhibition_id=35271
https://www.meetup.com/creative-women-kingston-group/events/235398273/
http://www.thebigdraw.org/event/BIG_DRAW_at_King_Athelstan_Primary/6992
http://www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/gallery/the-future-of-workspace/
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=189635
http://abphy.com/media/BM_RkrbAev7
http://abphy.com/media/BM80mGQggMr
Other description
Newsletters: (See attached PDF’s)
The Stanley Picker Gallery distributes online newsletters to over 5000 contacts. These include Artist, Curators, Designers, Architects, Academics, Kingston University Staff, Cultural Organizations and Cultural Workers nationally and internationally.
View/ Open
Date
2016Creator
Kular, Onkar
Keywords
Design
Pedagogic practices & Curation
Speculative & Critical Design
Publication type
artistic work