Prototyping workshop
Following the Dreaming Utopias event a second workshop took place on 21st May in Bow Arts.
This workshop was a more focussed and contained event, aiming to review the ideas and dreams shared by people in Bow and to create more tangible expressions of those dreams. To start, we reviewed all the different materials (audio, postcards, labels, models) and we tried to extract key themes. We found that people talked about universal ideals, like peace, solidarity, equality, nature and community but also reflected on the qualities of their own place and the value of local people. The audio recording was particularly evocative of those sentiments.
We then constructed two prototypes, building on the identified key themes. One (‘Smile Avenue’) aimed to bring together the recurring themes of environment, nature, and food with the themes of inclusivity, and local community. The other (‘Magic Boxes’) built on the discussions around the value of providing spaces/resources for creative random interactions from which community activities may grow.
This workshop was a more focussed and contained event, aiming to review the ideas and dreams shared by people in Bow and to create more tangible expressions of those dreams. To start, we reviewed all the different materials (audio, postcards, labels, models) and we tried to extract key themes. We found that people talked about universal ideals, like peace, solidarity, equality, nature and community but also reflected on the qualities of their own place and the value of local people. The audio recording was particularly evocative of those sentiments.
We then constructed two prototypes, building on the identified key themes. One (‘Smile Avenue’) aimed to bring together the recurring themes of environment, nature, and food with the themes of inclusivity, and local community. The other (‘Magic Boxes’) built on the discussions around the value of providing spaces/resources for creative random interactions from which community activities may grow.
The outcomes of this workshop will feature at the Utopia Fair, 24-26 June 2016 at Somerset House.
If you want to talk to us please email [email protected]
If you want to talk to us please email [email protected]
The event was led by the Prototyping Utopias project team: Katerina Alexiou and Theodore Zamenopoulos from the Open University; and Louise Dredge and Sophia de Sousa from The Glass-House Community Led Design. The activities were organised and delivered with the help of artists Simon Daw and Paul Burgess. We wish to thank Alison (local resident) and Blossom (project manager at Poplar Harca) for their participation.
