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¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Laboratory

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¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room

A new space for events, exhibitions, workshops and engagement with local stakeholders, professional audiences, and the wider public in east London.

Exploring the impact of industry, globalisation, regenerationÌýand gentrification on the six Olympic Park boroughs and their people, the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room isÌýa practice-based, multi-purpose space at the heart of the new ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº East campus, dedicated to debate and engagement around key questions of future living and urbanism.

Located at OneÌýPool StreetÌý(the first phase of the development), the public-facing ¹û¶³Ó°ÔºÌýUrban Room hostsÌýevents, exhibitions, workshops and engagement with local stakeholders, professional audiences, and the wider public, whilst the Memory Workshop will open up access to ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s public and oral history collections, forging dialogueÌýbetween ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº urban researchers and local community partners. Together they representÌýan exciting resource on the past, present and future of cities that will enable innovative explorations of London’s history, and the site in east London, through both ideas and objects.

Managed through a partnership between ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Laboratory, The Bartlett, School for theÌýCreative and Cultural Industries and ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Library Services: Special Collections, the space isÌýdesigned to create opportunities for academics, students and partnersÌýto be exposed to each other's work and initiatives. It operatesÌýas a research-led teaching resource for two associated Masters programmes, Urban Lab'sÌýGlobal UrbanismÌýMAScÌýandÌýPublic HistoryÌýMAÌý(History), as well as a space for engagement and participation by the wider academic community.

Meet the curator

Kara Blackmore
¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room is curated by Dr Kara Blackmore, an anthropologist and curator who specialises in community-driven exhibition making, and has an established track record in developing innovative collaborations between educational institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and cultural organisations. She brings an ethics of care to her work that is inspired by decolonial methodologies and looks forward to inspiring students, staff and partners to experiment in the new space.
“Kara combines extensive experience of working internationally with communities in south and east Africa, with local perspectives on London in the shadow of Grenfell Tower and during the pandemic. She is very well-placed to develop a vision and programme for the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room that speaks to the local and global identities embedded in London’s diaspora communities, critically engages with its complexities and inequalities, and helps us to realise the commitment to equitable and inclusive regeneration in east London that has driven this project from the start.

Dr Clare Melhuish, Director ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Laboratory


Work with Urban Room

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room Paid Internships

Apply for one of three internships taking place in February with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room artist in residence, Kat Anderson.

  • Fabrication & Artist Assistant
  • Design & Exhibition Communication Assistant
  • Administration Assistant

To apply,Ìýplease send a CV and brief expression of interest to uclurbanroom@ucl.ac.uk.

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room Volunteers

Are you passionate about urban research, art exhibitions and community engagement?

The ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Urban Room is looking for enthusiastic ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº student volunteers to join their team! Gain hands-on experience with assisting exhibitions, event planning and social media management.

Email the Urban Room to get involved: uclurbanroom@ucl.ac.uk.