Artists and architects come together in Urban Room
Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Artists and architects will come together in a unique project being launched by the University of Reading this summer.
They will focus on ‘How can arts practice help create a ‘door’ between the town and the University?’ in a series of programmes hosted in a purpose-built Urban Room on the University’s London Road campus.
The Urban Room was unveiled last week and has been planned, designed and built by the second-year students of the School of Architecture. It is a temporary wooden structure which carries the potential for enabling conversation and encounters between people and communities across Reading as a town and the University.
The room has been built as part of the students’ coursework, and is supported by The Shanly Group.
Professor Lorraine Farrelly, Head of Architecture/Carolina Vasilikou, Lecturer in Architecture said: “As part of the University’s arts strategy, we will be inviting Reading artists, University students and staff, community organisations and the public to discover and rediscover the Urban Room during a series of interventions, invitations and events throughout May and June.”
Miranda Laurence, Arts Development Officer, said: “Working in collaboration with local arts organisation jelly, the Urban Room will host six artist micro-residencies, where Reading artists will be invited to occupy the space for two days at a time, providing specific moments for the general public to encounter their practice and exchange ideas.”
Reading International and the University’s School of Art have also been invited to host reflective events on their recent community-facing programmes.
Finally, the School of Architecture will celebrate ‘Hybrid Practices’ through an architecture-artist lens, inviting public, artists and researchers to explore what happens when different expertises come together to explore one set of problems.
Following the Urban Room arts programme, the space will become an exhibition venue for Architecture students to show the outcome of their work. After dismantling, the Urban Room will have a further life at a nearby primary school as an outdoor learning space for children.
For more information on the Urban Room programme visit http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/arts/