Join us for an explorative workshop where participants will explore graffiti as a disruptor through an immersive VR experience.
What’s a STEAM Lab?
STEAM Labs are highly experimental collaborative workshops where participants work through a STEAM process that impels them to think about the development of projects, products, and services in completely new ways. Each STEAM Lab is different but every one is underpinned by our five guiding principles: conversation, exploration, collaboration, openness and newness.
What’s this one all about?
This STEAM lab is about exploring the idea of graffiti as a disruptor and a place-making and cultural heritage tool within the built environment. Despite being regularly seen as vandalism or criminal damage, it is often the most direct and impactful tool used to make a point unlike any other. Using VR headsets and Tilt Brush software, you’ll collaborate with Emma, Harry and other participants to experiment with the artistry of graffiti and create your own sketch.
Who is Emma Love and what does she do?
Emma Love is an established and published photographer with a particular interest in the graffiti culture, placemaking, urban planning, architecture, the built environment and urban culture. She is part way through a PhD, which considers the impact which graffiti has upon the built environment, including many aspects of placemaking the use of urban space and Urban Imaginaires.
Alongside this, she is a Senior Lecturer and teaches on the Building Surveying course at Birmingham City University. Emma has had a varied portfolio career which has included running her own interior design consultancy, working as a building surveyor in both local authority and a large global practice. Her teaching career now extends to over twenty years of practice in a variety of settings. She has a strong interest in creative pedagogy, which is the constant thread between all aspects of her teaching practice.
What will happen during the STEAM Lab?
You’ll be introduced to the world of graffiti art and culture and explore through collaboration how graffiti writers balance playing the game, conforming to the rules and structures of their community whilst also being progressive, challenging, and disruptive. You’ll also get to experience a fully immersive VR Graffiti experience where you’ll use a VR headset and Tilt Brush software to create your own sketch to explore what graffiti means in virtual spaces.
Who’s it for?
This STEAM Lab is for anyone who wants to explore graffiti culture and how it plays a role in our built environment. This workshop is aimed at those who want to take risks, in a safe environment and put those skills into their own business model. No artistry skills are required (preferred), but more so an enquiring and creative approach to learning different skills are.
What will I get out of it?
This is up to you to define! You’ll develop a deeper understanding of graffiti as a disruptor and have an experience like no other.
* Numbers are limited to allow participants the best VR experience *
Workshop Session
10:00 – Check-in
10:15 – 13:30 – Workshop
