Unforgotten Material,
Programme of Study Outline
Unforgotten Material is a yearly programme of study curated for students and researchers of any discipline, engaged in the investigation of marginalised or unconventional material and practice. The programme aims to create an environment which fosters deep concern for the material landscapes of not only our future, but of future generations to come. At the core of this programme is a library formed by three interconnected material bodies: Raw, Remembered, Waste. The components of this library demonstrate an intimate archaeological affection in approaching alternative materialities whilst encouraging a space of freedom and experimentation that discourages latex gloves and clean hands. R.R.W. exhibits a set of components whose futures are not necessarily clearly defined, but sits in a liminal place, as a proposal, and question to its audience, of what next?
Unforgotten Material’s initiative aims to spark learning through not only curiosity and experimentation, but a “workmanship of risk”. This term, conjoined by David Pye, is expanded on as “workmanship using any kind of technique or apparatus, in which the quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgement, dexterity, and care which the maker exercises as he works”. With foundations in the pursuit of practices rooted in tradition and handwork, the programme aims to engage with multi-cultural histories in order to interrogate the materials that we have come to depend on in the everyday, and question why we use the materials we do, when their materiality demonstrates so little concern for their post-usage afterlife.
The space encourages researchers to invest in greater levels of attention towards the human ingredient of a material body. Encouraging researchers to be aware of the embodiment of the human ingredient in a made object; encouraging them to realise their ability to instil a sense of breath and life within what they choose to create, and recognise that a form will absorb the choreography of movement and even posture held in its making, when it realises its final shape. Within the care that is exhibited in these processes, we ask for students to work on their understanding that there is of course, a dependency of the material on the body to realise its potential, but also of the body on the material. Working with understanding, in the knowledge that Raw, natural and Waste ingredients are not endless, makers must understand that they must have something to offer back to the material that is offering itself to them.
In investing in a greater understanding of these working materials, with care and dedicated attention, greater levels of pride and fulfilment would hopefully be inspired within students. There is not necessarily a sustainable or innovative goal, per se, as that would imply that these outcomes are new, which in many ways they are not, they are unforgotten or re-imagined; however, innovation and sustainability nevertheless sit at the core of these meditative practices, as the sentiments previously mentioned embed an attentiveness to material specifications, and thus a material’s life beyond the immediate moment, and beyond just human need. In this way, the material also permanently absorbs not only the human ingredient of its making, but also its socio-political surroundings. In working with raw and waste ingredients, Unforgotten Material doesn’t wish to necessarily condone disciplines reliant on synthetics or plastics, but to ask students to consider the climate in which we are designing, and more vigorously interrogate what will happen to the form they have created after it has fulfilled its purpose.
Inspired by the environment fostered at the Institute of Making at UCL, Unforgotten Material encourages a space committed to exploration through proactive engagement, playful research and discovery through getting your hands dirty. The R.R.W. Library functioning as a space of object-based learning to help students get a feel for the programme ethos. The space encourages craft, not in its technicality, but in sentiment. A sentiment of care and understanding. U.M. is a laboratory of choreography, our bodies and materials functioning as warp and weft, weaving themselves together with synchronised rhythm, trust and malleability.
Unforgotten Material would be an independent institution however, in the belief that interdisciplinary communication is at the heart of discovery, it would exist as a collaboration between SOAS, Imperial and the Royal College of Art in order to enable a network of research backgrounds to cross-pollinate.
1. SOAS’s breeds the rich cultural knowledge that is the backbone of thoughtful practice. Their “de-colonial outlook on education” and anthropological understanding of handwork would embed a knowing and thoughtfulness within the making itself.
2.U.M. looks to engage with students from Imperial’s Faculty of Engineering, multiple departments such as the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Earth Science and Materials, all of whom all engage with relevant fields of research. Alongside their Faculty of Natural Science, with departments of Life Sciences and a Centre of Environmental Policy. We believe that a space such as this, will spark policy-driven behavioural change and enable magnified visibility for practitioners within this field of work.
3. The RCA contributing an injection of experimentation and practised skill, facilitating the challenging of its preconceived place within Innovative Design.
The development of this scheme comes at an appropriate time as it follows initiatives and institutions such as Innovate UK, The Ralph Saltzman Prize (The Design Museum), The Circular Materials Project, Government Design Foundations on Repairability and the Crafts Council, all of which demonstrate the breadth of active cultivation of this field of study.
While many initiatives exist within this collective initiative, U.M. diversifies the movement by deconstructing mainstream hierarchical teaching and learning infrastructures within fields of innovation. Studies would prioritise teachings by craftspeople and artisanal workers whose intimate holistic experiences, knowledge and understanding, of not only practice, but environment, would instil a deeper affection within students, for the outcomes that they work towards with communication embodied not just by language, but in sensibility also.
Other objectives to include:
1. Materials Collection: Curate a diverse collection of materials derivative from multiple sources. Each material will be meticulously catalogued, providing information on its properties and origins.
2. Access Department: Specialists working with young neurodivergent students and researchers would facilitate a special engagement scheme for students who feel less comfortable with sensory experiences. This would also be open to a younger demographic to view and interact with in order to encourage engagement and interest in the industry.
3. Curriculum Outlines: Assessment criteria would not primarily focus on final outcome alone but on the student/researcher’s approach to their investigation. Sustainability and accessibility of work would be key learning assessment criteria for students’ work.
Funding:
National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts (NESTA): Based in the UK, NESTA supports innovation in science, technology, and the arts, funding projects that drive economic growth and social progress through creative researching.
Arts Council England (ACE): A non-departmental public body that provides funding and support for arts and culture across England. They offer grants for a range of disciplines, including visual, performing arts and literature.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC): AHRC is one of the UK’s seven research councils, funding research and postgraduate training in the arts and humanities. It supports projects that explore the cultural, historical, and creative dimensions of various disciplines, including literature, history and archaeology.
British Council: As the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, it supports cultural exchange programs, artistic collaborations, and creative projects that promote cross-cultural understanding and collaboration around the world.
Curriculum Calendar
This is an example of one year of running study programmes/courses based on the Waste department of R.R.W., students would also be encouraged to engage with their own independently identified materials and practices if they felt inclined and confident enough to do so.
Throughout the year there would also be lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials, and group critique sessions.
Autumn Term:
September/October - December/January (10-12 weeks)
Material Focus*: Stone Carving, Weaving Introductions
Material Specifications: This being the beginning of the academic year, an introduction would often be made with the teaching of long-standing handwork-oriented practice. It provides a starting point for research for those less familiar with these practices, as well as being conveniently timed for a season of the year in which there is fewer ingredients and materials available for foraging/harvest.
Winter / Spring Term:
January/February - March/April (10-12 weeks)
Material Focus: NETTLES
Material Specifications: Nettles can be foraged throughout the year, but they are at their best for fibre harvesting in the spring and early summer when the plants are young and tender. Late March to early June is an ideal time for harvesting nettles for fibre, prior to flowering.
Early Summer:
April/May - June/July (8-10 weeks)
Material Focus: SAWDUST
Material Specifications: Sawdust wood waste, can of course be collected from any appropriate site all throughout the year, therefore meaning that it is best to be done in the winter time (harsher months) while other natural ingredients are still cultivating and less available.
Late Summer Term:
July/August - September / October (8-12 weeks)
Material Focus: SEAWEED
Material Specifications: The time of year at which you will be able to source the greatest diversity of seaweed species and therefore specifications will be later on in the summer. Harvesting techniques for seaweed also benefit from the summer climate.
Placement Scheme
THE Okinawa Fibre Research Programme
The Okinawa Fiber Research Program is an example of the type of placement scheme that would run as a part of the Unforgotten Material programme. The OFRE (Okinawa Fiber Research Exchange) would be a collaborative initiative aimed at fostering international research partnerships and cultural exchange in the field of fibre materials. Timing and duration of this period would be flexible and vary depending on the student’s credentials and research/study specifications as well as the capacity of the chosen placement’s destination and their ability to host the student.
The rich cultural history of banana fibre production in Okinawa, Japan, is deeply intertwined with the region’s traditions, craftsmanship, and natural resources. Dating back centuries, the practice of extracting fibres from banana plants, known as “bashofu,” has been a cornerstone of Okinawan culture, shaping the identity of its people and contributing to the island’s textile heritage. Okinawa’s subtropical climate and fertile soil provided an ideal environment for banana cultivation, with banana trees thriving in abundance across the landscape. The versatile fibres extracted from the stems and leaves of banana plants were prized for their strength, flexibility, and natural beauty, making them a valuable resource for weaving into textiles. Bashofu weaving was traditionally practised by skilled artisans, often within family or community-based workshops, where knowledge and techniques were passed down generationally, through practice and spoken word. The process of Bashofu production involved meticulous handwork, from a deep understanding of the land and harvesting to the processing of raw materials, through to the spinning and weaving of fibres into intricate textiles. The art of Bashofu is heavily weighted with cultural significance in Okinawan society, with textiles not only representative of community and culture in their aesthetics and manifestations, but in thier historical value also. Kimonos were made as a form of tax for Okinawans, it was compulsory, and every family had to provide a certain quantity of bashofu to the government annually because they relied upon it. Okinawa’s wet and hot climate encouraged the cultivation of very specifically fine banana fibre that was essential to fine and cool textiles for summer, as well as retaining warmth in the winter. However the labour-intensive process meant that it was for this reason that there was a great demand from this region and its people specifically; it takes about half a year to produce one kimono, so it was very expensive. In many regions of Japan, rice was used as a form of currency, whereas in Okinawa Basho fibre functioned in similar trading practices. The whole community of Okinawa was engaged in Basho fibre production, men would work the land and harvest, while women spun and wove the yarn. As a result of this, tradition and trade still exist in such a concentrated manner within Okinawa, making it almost a historical capsule of handwork and social-political movements.
Components and Objectives
1. Promote Cultural Exchange: Foster cross-cultural understanding and appreciation by immersing participants in unique cultural heritage and traditions, developing cultural awareness by working on projects under the guidance of local mentors.
2. Advance Fiber Research: Encourage exploration of traditional and contemporary fibre techniques and applications.
3. Collaborative Projects: Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with local researchers and artisans on joint research projects, exhibitions, or community outreach activities
4. Professional Development: Workshops and seminars will be organised to provide participants with training in research methodologies, project management, academic writing, and presentation skills
5. Language Training: Japanese language courses will be encouraged for participants to facilitate communication and cultural integration during their stay.
6. Giving back: Scholarships, bursaries and funding for students or researchers based in the placement area will also be available as a form of exchange run by SOAS, Imperial and the RCA. Students will also be required to volunteer as a part of an educational institution in the local area, or with a charity working in the local area.
Specifications
Duration: The timing and duration of this period would be flexible and vary depending on the student’s credentials and research/study specifications as well as the capacity of the chosen placement’s destination and their ability to host the student.
Eligibility: The program is open to researchers, students, alumni and professionals with a background or interest in fibre materials, textiles, design, anthropology and cultural studies.
Application Criteria: Interested individuals can apply to the program by submitting a comprehensive application, including a research proposal and CV. Both a portfolio and interview are necessary for applicants, which will be reviewed and chosen by UK-based educators in partnership with practitioners based in the placement scheme destination.