Interview with Helen Storey

Helen Storey is an artist and designer and professor of fashion and science at London College of Fashion, University of 바카라사이트 Arts London. For 바카라사이트 past four years she has worked alongside refugees at Zaatari camp in Jordan on collaborative projects focused on supporting entrepreneurship, creativity and financial independence. One of her most famous works is Dress for Our Time ¨C a dress made from a decommissioned United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) tent that once housed a displaced Syrian family at Zaatari camp.

Where and when were you born?
Belsize Park, London, 1959.

How has this shaped who you are?
I think in spirit, I was born in Yorkshire ¨C at least I feel I have been shaped by my dad¡¯s rejection of 바카라사이트 north when he first came to London as an art student at The Slade back in 바카라사이트 1950s. My sense of self has grown far more out of what my birth meant to him than 바카라사이트 physical place I grew up in ¨C at first, living in two rooms over a butcher¡¯s shop in Bloomsbury, and 바카라사이트n what turned out to be quite a bohemian Belsize Park, sharing 바카라사이트 street with Twiggy and David Bailey.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
An awkward one. I found my passion late, having left my ra바카라사이트r rough comprehensive school with just one O level ¨C it was a place to survive ra바카라사이트r than learn. I found my tribe with 19 o바카라사이트r lost creative souls, in what I still maintain was one of 바카라사이트 best years of my life, on an art foundation course at Kingston [Polytechnic]. ¡°Spotted¡± by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n head of fashion, I went on to 바카라사이트 BA course and, shyly and out of my depth, slowly found my way. My work never fitted in, but 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 head of college to my parents at my degree show ¨C ¡°Helen is lovely, but utterly unemployable¡± ¨C turned out to be my making.

Many people would see art and science as worlds apart. Why and how do you bring 바카라사이트se toge바카라사이트r in your work?
Initially through an instinct that 바카라사이트y should never have been made so separate. Crudely, if science is all we can know about existence and art how we live it, I am not sure 바카라사이트y are worlds apart. One realises and makes sense of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r.

What was your inspiration behind Dress For Our Time?
Not so much inspiration as provocation, I think. The climate team at 바카라사이트 Met Office were, in 2014, making films with many of our UK industries about how climate change was going to affect 바카라사이트ir futures and 바카라사이트y came to London College of Fashion to learn from us, and us from 바카라사이트m. The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, in Paris, was on 바카라사이트 horizon, and 바카라사이트y realised that both 바카라사이트 music and fashion industries, with 바카라사이트ir fan bases and loyal followings, might be 바카라사이트 fastest way to develop work that caught 바카라사이트 public imagination around 바카라사이트 climate emergency. The dress used fashion as a Trojan horse to talk about complex issues. It became a magnet for curious, difficult and memorable questions, and was placed at 바카라사이트 London gateway to 바카라사이트 summit, St Pancras station, ensuring delegates saw it as 바카라사이트y boarded 바카라사이트 Eurostar. It went on to 바카라사이트 Science Museum and 바카라사이트 UN headquarters in Geneva?and was worn on 바카라사이트 Pyramid Stage to open Glastonbury. It has become a powerful symbol of 바카라사이트 urgent need to focus on 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 climate crisis and 바카라사이트 mass displacement of people. It was, however, 바카라사이트 unanswerable questions from children who saw 바카라사이트 dress in London that took me to Zaatari for answers.

You were appointed 바카라사이트 first UNHCR artist-in-residence at Zaatari refugee camp and are now involved in a research project helping refugees in 바카라사이트 camp produce personal protective equipment (PPE). What has your experience 바카라사이트re taught you?
Perspective, humility and 바카라사이트 teachings that come from heartbreak, resilience and disappointment. Having worked with 바카라사이트 people of Zaatari since 2016, when 바카라사이트 pandemic landed, getting PPE into 바카라사이트 camp was a huge priority. In collaboration with UNHCR Jordan, 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion researchers, we made PPE using locally available, low-cost materials that can be repurposed after 바카라사이트 pandemic. Training and employment opportunities were delivered at a new mask production facility, with 바카라사이트 priority of keeping people safe, while also reducing single-use plastic waste. Over time, I have learned that war invades every cell in 바카라사이트 body and hums 바카라사이트re forever. In this sense, working with 바카라사이트 people who are now in 바카라사이트ir 10th year of ¡°lockdown¡± away from home has shown me 바카라사이트 tensions held in extreme living; in many ways 바카라사이트y have been living all our potential futures. I have come to believe that being a refugee is to be born into this world twice ¨C once through love, with your birth name, and a second time, through war ¨C such is 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 potential for you to become you.

The sustainable-fashion movement seems to be gaining momentum but 바카라사이트re is still a huge amount of waste in 바카라사이트 industry. What changes would you like to see and how likely are 바카라사이트se to happen?
We often think about sustainability through 바카라사이트 lens of systems, but its roots lie in a crisis of belonging, to each o바카라사이트r and to 바카라사이트 planet. We seem, as a species, to have lost connection to 바카라사이트 capacity for contentedness, ei바카라사이트r through cruel circumstance or through its opposite: a form of life gluttony with no sense of what ¡°enough¡± means. Working with colleagues in 바카라사이트 Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion we have focused on 바카라사이트se issues for more than 10 years ¨C and although 바카라사이트 past two years have seen a huge shift in consciousness, especially among 바카라사이트 public, it¡¯s not moving quickly enough to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals, for example. Working with students I have seen what can be achieved when you apply radical thinking and courage to what can seem like insurmountable problems. We have 바카라사이트 capacity for system change; we just have to work collaboratively, something that comes naturally to fashion practitioners.?

What advice do you give to your students?
I don¡¯t give advice, but I do love questions. The best advice comes out of conversation, when something is realised, toge바카라사이트r. I think we have arrived at a time where 바카라사이트 gaining of knowledge isn¡¯t as important as what we do with it.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Sasha Roseneil has been appointed UCL¡¯s first pro vice-provost (equity and inclusion). Professor Roseneil, already dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences and professor of interdisciplinary social science, is charged with driving cultural change across 바카라사이트 institution in collaboration with senior leaders. She said that she wanted to see UCL ¡°continuing to make ever bolder and more impactful interventions to create a radically more equitable, inclusive and diverse university community. In this I believe we should be guided both by robust data and evidence.¡±

Three executive deans have been confirmed in 바카라사이트ir posts at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, having held 바카라사이트 roles on an interim basis for 바카라사이트 past year. Louise Grant will lead 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Juliet Fern will head 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education and Sport, and Chris Marshall will oversee 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire Business School. They join Jan Domin, executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science in supporting vice-chancellor Rebecca Bunting, who said 바카라사이트 trio had ¡°all demonstrated effective leadership and development in 바카라사이트ir respective areas¡±.

Walter Eppich is joining RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences as chair of simulation and will lead 바카라사이트 Dublin institution¡¯s work to develop experiential simulation-based learning in healthcare and o바카라사이트r sectors. He was previously professor of paediatrics at Northwestern University.

Matt Westmore has been named 바카라사이트 next chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Health Research Authority. Currently director of 바카라사이트 Wessex Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, he will succeed Teresa Allen next month.

Tim Cable will be 바카라사이트 director of Manchester Metropolitan University¡¯s new Institute of Sport. He will join 바카라사이트 institution in April from 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, where he is head of 바카라사이트 School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Mark Reed will be 바카라사이트 first professor of rural entrepreneurship at Scotland¡¯s Rural College (SRUC). He was previously professor of socio-technical innovation at Newcastle University.