installation – The Creative Corner

Chicken shop girl reveals her 5 golden rules to kickstart your creative career

Amelia Dimoldenberg, also known as the CEO of Chicken Shop Date, revealed in a talk held at New Blood Festival organized by D&AD her 5 rules to help those who are starting their career in the creative industries.

Amelia Dimoldenberg at New Blood Festival 2018

If you haven’t heard of the Chicken Shop Date already, then you should know it’s Amelia’s YouTube channel where she posts videos of herself going on embarrassing dates in chicken shops with grime artists and other popular figures from UK’s music scene. She “dated” (or interviewed) on her channnel celebrities such as Maya Jama, Big Narstie and Chabuddy G, a fictional character very much loved by Britain.

Chicken Shop Date: Amelia interviews Chabuddy G | Copyright: Chicken Shop Date YouTube

What makes her channel unique is her rather awkward personality mixed with her ironic sense of humor, both of which came across evidently even in her talk entitled “How I turned my side project at uni into a career?”. This extraordinary combination renders her content hilarious and very relatable to everyone who went on a date that didn’t go too well.

The Chicken Shop Date started for Dimoldenberg as a side project she did during her Fashion Journalism course from Central St. Martin, only she turned it into a career. Her YouTube channel helped her start collaborations with big companies such as Channel 4 and Nike.

Here are Amelia’s golden rules to develop your creative career:

#1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
When Amelia started working as a journalist for a magazine, she met other creative people with all sorts of different skills. And she made the courage to ask them to help her create her dream project – a satirical form of journalism. So her channel is the result of her work, but also other people’s abilities. She warned, however, that you have to be mindful and not demand too much of your connections. This leads us to the next rule.

Amelia Dimoldenberg at New Blood Festival 2018

#2. Be respectful of others
Amelia said she wouldn’t have been able to realize her project without her connections. But you have to understand that they too have a life of their own, that they have their own work to focus on, and you have to be respectful of that. If you respect this rule, you are likely to gain your collaborators trust and loyalty.

#3. Persevere
Being rejected or not getting any replies can be very disheartening, to the point where you just want to give up. Don’t do it if it’s your dream career. You have to realize it is a long journey and being persistent is a quality you will need to hang on to if you want to make that journey worthwhile. Take Amelia for example. It took her around 2 years until she was able to secure interviews with high-profile artists. She emailed a lot of people, and sometimes she didn’t get anything back. When this happens, she suggests following up with people without being too insistent. One of her emails landed her video on LadBible’s page, which helped her channel grow enormously.

#4. Strive to be different
Dimoldenberg said the first comments she received on her videos were something along the lines “Why am I watching this? What is this?”. But that didn’t discourage her. On the contrary, those comments confirmed what she already knew. That what she was doing was something different, and that was going to set her apart from other YouTubers.

#5. Work on your own projects
If you want to start a career in the creative industries a CV and a cover letter won’t do it. You need something that will show your skills and your initiative. The motto here is: show it, don’t say it. That’s why Amelia recommends working on a side project that will showcase your abilities as well as the fact that you have initiative, that you are a can-doer.

If you want to subscribe to Amelia’s YouTube channel you can do so by clicking here. You might see her one day interviewing Drake, or at least she hopes so. Fingers crossed for her!

How three friends launched London design studio based on sustainability

When Bibiana Farenzena moved to England to study a Masters course in Design for Communication, she never expected to run her own design consultancy business eight years later.

The Brazilian-born designer is the co-owner of Upcircle along with friends Ophélia Gisquet and Mercedes Alvarez-Fojo.

Upcircle, which was launched in 2017, is a design studio based in London that offers sustainable design consultancy services in digital, graphic, furniture and interior design.

“We are all friends and we bring different skills to Upcircle. The idea behind our business is to promote the circular economy and the tree pillars of sustainability: economic, environment and social”, says Bibiana.

“Ophélia went travelling to South Africa when she discovered places and people that had the ability to design and create from very little resources, recycling and upcycling materials.

“The community had a creative and very clever mindset and it was then Ophelia had the idea of applying this into her designs too.

“The three of us decided to set up Upcircle using our different skills on projects, which support sustainability and recycling.”

She said Upcircle’s approach to projects focuses on design, the type of materials used, how they are manufactured and the impact it has on society.

Bibibana studied a BA in Visual Design at a university in Brazil, going on to study Digital Print in Textiles at Saint Martin’s College in London. She has also completed a Masters in Design for Communications at the University of Westminster.

The 32-year-old has a wealth of retail experience and has worked with Marks & Spencer, Asos, Body Shop and TKMaxx, to name a few.

Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 14.29.22 — Asos Activewear campaign

Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 14.28.54 — Asos Activewear campaign

Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 14.28.33 — Asos Activewear campaign

Ophélia, 32, was born and studied in France where she did a foundation year in design in Toulouse, followed by an interior design course.

She studied a Masters in interior design and architecture and has worked on projects designing offices, homes and hotels across the globe.

Mercedes graduated in Business and Accountancy from the University of Barcelona and holds an MBA degree from the University of Westminster.

The Spanish-born business developer has worked in the construction industry for 15 years working on projects around the world.

Bibiana said: “Our extensive skill set allows us to work on projects together to promote sustainability and recycling.

“For example, we have worked on student accommodation projects where we use materials, which are recycled and sustainable.

“Many people do not realise but furniture in student accommodations usually have a life of five to seven years because the trend of interior design changes, so the contractors decide to refurbish it and the furniture ends up in landfills.

“But if we design with a different mindset by reusing the same furniture or recycling it, we can create a big positive impact on the environment.”

The trio are currently working on a project with PhD students at the University of West England to create a permanent installation to increase awareness about sustainable palm oil.

The set will include trees, ferns, moss and the furniture will be made out from offcut plywood (reusing common waste in joinery workshop). The joinery will be produced by a Bristol-based company who share the same values about sustainability.

Palm oil is one of the world’s widely consumed vegetable oil and it is used in everything from soaps to biscuits and cosmetics.

Bibiana said: “The aim of the project is to raise awareness about sustainable palm oil because production often comes at the cost of the rich of biodiversity in the rainforest.

“We want to change consumer’s decisions about palm oil and how it can be sourced in the future.”

Upcircle is also working on a project with the university to refurbish four external courtyards, adding manifestations on the floor which is an affordable and sustainable solution. Some of the furniture will be supplied by an outdoor furniture company named Vestre that has “strong sustainable values”.

Bibiana said: “Some of the furniture will be produced by Bristol Wood Recycling Project, who use recycled elements.

“It is a charity that offers free training to people who want to learn joinery or develop their social skills.

“We are also designing three new student accommodations with the aim to implement as much sustainable product and finishes as possible.”

In addition to the university projects, Upcircle is gearing up to take part in the London Design Festival in the summer.

Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 14.25.25 — Installation for London Design Festival 2017

Last year they had an installation called Roots Grow Love, which was a striking wooden structure containing plants to celebrate the love of gardening, to promoting Loughborough Farm and bringing the community together.

Upcircle worked with Loughborough Farm and a group of volunteers from different associations to build the structure which was made of recycling wood and plants from the farm.

The last 18 months have been a whirlwind for the team at Upcircle and there is plenty of exciting projects in the pipeline for them.

Bibiana said: “Our approach has been well received by the industry and we are very happy to see more companies working with us.

“We believe that Upcircle will have a bright future thanks to the great collaboration of each business partner and the hard work.

: Palm oil project at the University of West England

“Our values at Upcircle will be a plus for our designs and our clients. By producing a great design and having a positive impact in our society, we hope our studio will make a difference in the creative industry.

“At Upcircle we want to be part of this movement of start-ups that have new ways of working, changing lifestyles and perceptions about work.

“It’s time for us designers but also consumers to change the way we live and produce things. Slow design is about time and so is Upcircle.”

See more from Upcricle over at their website – www.upcircle.co.uk

Copyright: Upcircle

Illustrator Laura Parker on using her Illustration practice as a platform for social issues

London based Illustrator Laura Parker’s colourful portfolio is filled with drawings, installations and paintings of insects, birds, abstract sculptural creations; whether it’s sewn-like human bodies hanging from the ceiling or ceramic sculptures of human bodies with a bird’s head. It’s fair to say Laura’s work is instantly recognisable, due to its unique and personal approach.

Born in rural Norfolk, Laura uses her Illustration practice as a platform for social issues and campaigns she feels passionate about. An example of this is one of her most recent projects ‘Grow Wild – As free as a bee’. Grow Wild was created and motivated by our need as a society to help our Bumblebees in the UK since being listed as an endangered species.

The importance of bumblebees is often overlooked, as their population has plummeted nearly 90 percent. The threats facing the population of bees are argued to be a result of: loss of habitat, diseases and parasites, pesticides, and climate change. This is a big deal not only for bees but for people, too—after all, bees pollinate a lot of our food. “Bumblebees are among the most important pollinators of crops such as blueberries, cranberries, and clover, and almost the only insect pollinators of tomatoes,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Laura was funded to create a body of work as part of the Grow Wild Get Creative Takeover at Summer hall in Edinburgh. She aims to use her talents and unique illustration style to bring awareness to this significant issue and encourage people to take action. “For this exhibition I didn’t just want to highlight the issue, but also help towards a solution, so as well as this installation people were also encouraged to take home a pack of wildflower seeds, to grow.”

Laura incorporates a wide variety of media within her work and enjoys the challenge of combining illustration with textile processes. This enthusiasm to combine different materials and mediums ensures each project she works on is unique to the other, whilst keeping her distinguished style. Laura’s unconventional drawings and unorthodox compositions expand the viewer’s creative muscles. Her drawings prompt us to acknowledge the issues she highlights. Her work challenges conventions and offers new forms of visual expressions that have not seen before.

You can see more of her projects here – https://www.lauraparkerillustration.com/

IKEA x Adidas collaboration

Ikea has announced they are working with sports giants Adidas on a collaboration. The two brands are going to join forces to utilizes Ikea’s specialty (the home) with Adidas’ (sports) by fashioning and manufacturing a more practical way to workout at home.

Their starting point of their collaborative project will be research through studying, learning, and analysing how individuals integrate fitness and wellness into their homes and daily lives. Ikea aims to recognize and cater for what people want and need when it comes to exercising, sleeping and eating at home. Their new collaboration with Adidas investigates the links between living spaces and sport, and how both can be made in a way to help create healthy lifestyle.

At their public announcement, IKEA revealed it will work with Adidas on a collection of home sports equipment “for women, by women.” “Our goal is to make sport accessible to everyone,” Josefine Aberg, VP of Design at Adidas, said in a statement. “Working with IKEA, we’ll look at why some people are more active than others, especially young women, and explore what role the home can play in removing barriers to fitness.”

IKEA also announced further exciting collaborations with Lego, and Solange Knowles’ company, Saint Heron. Ikea and Lego have united to inspire ‘more play’. Whilst ‘more play’ is quite vague and open for interpretation, Ikea believes it is an ‘essential part of a better everyday life’. The partnership aims to improve and raise the chance for more play, and IKEA believe the first step is to make the home an improved living space and more fun place. Ikea’s collaboration with Saint Heron will explore architectural and interior design objects with multifunctional use.

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Product Designer Nathan Hulman on Upcycling and Sustainable design

Nathan Hulman is an upcoming and talented product designer, specializing in upcycling and working with found materials, which he brings back to life by giving them a new purpose.

Nathan graduated from Nottingham Trent University, having studied a BA in Product Design and has been working as a product designer since. Nathan explains, whilst he always loved fixing and creating things, deciding his career path was a difficult choice.

“I’ve always been interested in creating new things and solving problems but took a while in deciding what career I wanted to go down. Having taken applied science, geography and product design as my A levels, I ended up doing an art and design foundation course before deciding on going to university to study product design full time. Since then I’ve helped Constellations, a furniture and interior design company, come up with new ideas for their range of storage products through a graduate internship.”

Bits ’n’ Bulbs Was Nathan’s final project for his foundation course. The idea behind this project was repurposing and upcycling to create usable lights. Upcycling is a way to transform old things in a way that turns them into something new without breaking the product down into its raw materials. Instead, upcycling gives new life to an old object, and this is exactly what Nathan achieved with his Bits and Bulbs project.

In today’s society, more and more young designers are diverting their focus on to sustainable design and recycling/upcycling. Sustainable design is a new method of designing objects, the manufactured environment, and services to conform with the philosophies and values of social, economic, and ecological sustainability. The purpose of sustainable design is to reduce the harmful impact on the environment through clever and thoughtful design. Sustainable design must use renewable resources, impact the environment minimally, and connect people with the environment.

Bits ‘n’ Bulbs was Nathans first upcycling project so he says he had difficulty adjusting to the organic way of working and not having entire control over the finished product.

“I already had the components to use and hadn’t much control over what the finished product would look like, so it was a fun play on “form follows function” since it was reversed.”

Nathan adds the challenge was balancing the aesthetics of the components in a way that works functionally and had to overcome challenges to ensure the finish product not only looks good but is fully functioning.

“One of the lamps uses a kettle as the lampshade which was too heavy for the base, so I used the wire from the bulb to anchor it in down which actually worked well aesthetically. I learned to be a bit looser in my design projects and see where any mistakes or unintended outcomes take the project.”

Bits ‘n’ Bulbs inspired Nathan to continue his investigation in to Upcycling when he got to university and kept on working loosely without restricting himself. He explains how embracing mistakes can work in your favor, how you can capitalize on them.

“I was prototyping a desk lamp using foam, and halfway through I completely changed the design. A dent in the foam looked as if it could be a nice visual cue that the base is touch activated, and the loose stalk gave me an idea for how the lamp could be adjusted. In the end it turned out much better than I expected, and I found the unintended outcomes in finding a solution that don’t seem ideal can actually really help with coming up with new ideas.”

You can keep up to date with Nathans work at https://www.behance.net/njhulman

Textile designer Vanessa Lam creates safe haven with organic installations

Vanessa Lam is an artist and textile designer based in Manchester you should definitely know about. Aiming to create a safe space for the viewer by focusing on his /her wellbeing, her work is a response to the contemporary fast-paced environment governed by high levels of stress.

Lam uses unconventional materials in her designs, which she produces using machine knitting techniques to develop three-dimensional structures similar to the ones found in nature. She allows them to develop organically in order to reflect the environment as naturally as possible. “I allow these materials to dictate the movement and form of the pieces”, Vanessa said.

thumbnail5 — Vanessa Lam – Bruntwood Commission

She wants to aid the person who is observing her art to connect to the world around us with visual and tactile properties. Thus, she doesn’t just make designs, she creates experiences for people to help them deal with their emotions, simply by interpreting the shapes that form our world.

Cluster, her latest installation, which is currently exhibited at Manchester craft and design centre, has a fluid movement rendered by the unusual material adorned with delicate patterns. The pale colours dominating the piece have the purpose of bringing relief to the everyday human stress and enveloping the viewer with a sense of calmness.

The installation “Lighting” is shown until the 1^st of September.

See more of Vanessa Lam’s work here.