a presentation given to Norwich University of the Arts Students about a project I undertook with Kings College and the Crafts Council. The focus was soft robotics - deform and reform http://de-reform.blogspot.co.uk/

1. education

2. education
noun
1.
the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction,
especially at a school or university. "a course of education“
synonyms:teaching, schooling, tuition, tutoring, instruction,
pedagogy, andragogy, coaching, training, tutelage,
drilling, preparation, guidance,indoctrination, inculcation,
enlightenment, edification, cultivation,development,
improvement,
2.
an enlightening experience.

3. education
noun
1.
the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction,
especially at a school or university. "a course of education“
synonyms:teaching, schooling, tuition, tutoring, instruction,
pedagogy, andragogy, coaching, training, tutelage,
drilling, preparation, guidance,indoctrination, inculcation,
enlightenment, edification, cultivation,development,
improvement,
2.
an enlightening experience.

4. opportunity

5. opportunity
noun
1.
a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to
do something.
synonyms: chance, golden opportunity, time, occasion,
favourable time/occasion/moment, opening, option,
right set of circumstances, moment, turn, go, field day
appropriate time/occasion/moment, good time, slot
suitable time/occasion/moment, lucky chance,
opportune time/occasion/moment, window (of opportunity),
2.
a chance for employment or promotion.

6. opportunity
noun
1.
a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to
do something.
synonyms: chance, golden opportunity, time, occasion,
favourable time/occasion/moment, opening, option,
right set of circumstances, moment, turn, go, field day
appropriate time/occasion/moment, good time, slot
suitable time/occasion/moment, lucky chance,
opportune time/occasion/moment, window (of opportunity),
2.
a chance for employment or promotion.

7. prepare
for
opportunity
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
Seneca

8. http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/parallel-practices

9. apply

10. Describe your practice and the way you work in no more
than 200 words.
Outline a collaborative project, exhibition, competition,
commission or work that has been progressed through
research and describe how it pushed your practice
forward and your key highlights in no more than 300
words.
Explain how a collaboration with a medical professional
would help you to explore or progress your thinking and
craft practice in no more than 300 words.

13. • Describe your practice and the way you work in no more than 200 words *
The book is viewed as a tool with which to contain and communicate content directly, it is a
form whose purpose has been understood in these terms for many years. Redirecting the
books role challenges this notion, working within this new model creates a space for an
audience to re-think book.
The sculptural forms I make are derived from examining the possibilities presented whilst
exploring the essence of what a book is; spaces in time, sequence, order, notions of
revelation, intimacy, accessibility, control, narrative and communication – bookness.
My re-imaging of book focuses on exploring the idea of form becoming content and
enabling multiple narratives to be developed by manipulating the work in the hand. This
leaves space for the viewer, giving them time to connect, look, and consider, creating the
opportunity for a reflective experience.
The hybrid nature of the work positions itself conceptually and physically between and
within the idea of sculpture and of book; the work has its roots in both forms. This shifting of
purpose initiates in the reader/viewer a paradigm shift; the work becomes a question rather
than an answer, a collaboration in the mind and hand between maker and reader/viewer.

14. • Outline a collaborative project, exhibition, competition, commission or work that has
been progressed through research and describe how it pushed your practice forward and
your key highlights in no more than 300 words. *
I worked on Journey to the podium, a commission for Essex County Council, to create a
collaborative work with an athlete for the 2012 Olympics. Working with Dan Bentley, a
paralympian gold medal Boccia player we created a piece that connected the audience to the
experience of Boccia.
I saw the commission as an opportunity to examine the parallels between art and sport, looking
specifically at the idea of repetition, the position of practice, the labour behind the image of our
professions. When working with Dan it was important to find connections to enable us to
collaborate. We explored the parallels between the art exhibition and the public competitive
sporting performance. We decided to make the hidden processes in our lives public.
I documented Dan’s training through video and examined it to determine the game-play, Dan’s
technique and the dynamics of the balls on the court. This led to developing appropriate
structures to explore, rethink and express the issue of repetition within a set of rules.
The rigorous exploration of paper folding to explore and determine game play and which set out
to actually controlled hand movements was one strand of very practical research. I also pursued
a research strand from my teaching role on the Book Art MA at Camberwell - exploration of
traditional and contemporary book structures.
When reflecting on the work we had undertaken discussion led to issues around strategy, control
and dissemination. The opportunity to see the game represented through folded paper in the
form of a non-linear book structures with all its inherent qualities enabled a new understanding –
a reimagining.
The work was editioned, exhibited and purchased by a number of collections including the Tate
Gallery. This validated the aesthetic value of the piece alongside its role as a tool for learning.

15. • Explain how a collaboration with a medical professional would help you to explore
or progress your thinking and craft practice in no more than 300 words .
When developing successful creative solutions to material problems makers undertake a
rigorous, investigative methodology to a specific subject matter.
Repetitive acts which lead to revelation through reflection is an approach that could be
explored by a medical professional. Working in collaboration within this framework would be
an opportunity to examine systems utilized by others and through reflection those used by
myself.
The books relationship to the body is fundamental – the language of book (spine, head, and
toe) is rooted in its making. The touching and handling of book structures and how their
functionality controls our movement and vice versa was an issue I began to explore in a
recently completed project entitled unpicking and rebinding. The projects core concern was
to create new entry points for exploring and utilising collections whist mapping the process
of accessing museums for visual research.
Working with staff and volunteers in a range of situations I encountered new ways of
working and thinking. This exchange of information led to the recognition and exploration of
the ergonomics of creative activity.
Through this accumulation and exchange of knowledge I learnt a number of traditional skills
and individual approaches to making which continue to inform my practice. Reflecting on
and developing these new acquisitions has meant that I have been able to expand my
conceptual and practical ‘tool kit’. This has facilitated a more experimental approach when
making work. It would be intriguing to consider how the physical properties of the book with
its linear sequential narrative has informed and directed our thinking and how digital
technology which provides non-linear, multiple narratives will evolve our ways of thinking.
Making these forms would enable us to hold and manipulate these new structures in our
hands, presenting alternative opportunities to inform our thinking.

16. interview

80. connection

81. Thrishantha Nanayakkara was a senior lecturer in the faculty
of engineering at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, till
2007, where he won the outstanding researcher award. He
has been a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University, USA, and
a research affiliate at MIT, USA. At present, he is a senior
lecturer in the department of Informatics, King’s College
London. His current research interests are in soft robotics,
and robotic interaction with uncertain environments. He is
the technical manager of the EU funded STIFF_FLOP
research consortium that consists of 12 European partners,
and one of the founders of the London Robotics Network.
He has published one textbook, and more than 70 peer
reviewed international journal and conference papers.

82. Naomi Mcintosh is preoccupied by the body and how we
can use jewellery and objects to reveals it’s landscape. By
using an architectural background, she manipulates scale,
transforms two dimensional surfaces into three dimensional
forms and experiments using pattern, lines and planes to
create volumes and spaces, that are reconfigured with the
movement of the body. Mcintosh’s practice involves hand
drawings of the body, exploring the surface of the skin, with
3D body scans, casting and laser cutting. The dynamic
sculptural and precise pieces in woods, precious metals and
perspex, investigate how volumes, patterns, planes and
forms that surround the surface of the skin are perceived.

83. soft robotics

86. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949eYdEz3Es

87. proposal

89. 1.Innovation is the trialling and testing of ideas leading to new practice, policy or
production. What idea are you hoping to test or trial and how do you propose to challenge
and expand your practice? (do not exceed 500 characters)
2.Is there evidence that this idea has not been previously tested? (do not exceed 500
characters)
3. How, in practice, would you work in partnership to test/explore the idea? (do not exceed
500 characters)
4. Through this exploration, what outputs might be generated? (do not exceed 500
characters)
5. In relation to academic, artistic or cultural practice, policy, production - what could be
new or different if the project is a success? (do not exceed 500 characters)
6.How might the project impact on wider cultural and/or, policy and/or creative production?
(do not exceed 500 characters)
7. What can the partners do together that they could not achieve on their own? (do not
exceed 500 characters)
8. What would be the underpinning research and area of professional expertise informing
this project? (do not exceed 500 characters)
9. How might the project inform or develop academic research and teaching? Please
indicate if it could inform the REF. (do not exceed 500 characters)
10. If applicable, could there be a public-facing dimension to the project? (do not exceed
500 characters)
11. How would you budget for the £8000 committed to your residency, should your
application be successful? Include a breakdown of costs if possible (this might include
materials, peoples' time, workshops, seminars or exhibitions etc) (do not exceed 500
characters)
12. What would success look like? (do not exceed 500 characters)

90. planning

91. 13. The residencies will run for four months, from September until December 2014. Please
provide a project timeline covering these months. (do not exceed 500 characters)

92. Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan
Development of shared vocabulary
Creating initial structures
Developing structures
Developing structures
collaboratively
Creation of final models
Mapping project
Team meetings
Developing exhibition
Creation of educational material
Evaluation
Intro meeting
Mid-point pres
Progress meetings
Showcase
White-papers
13. The residencies will run for four months, from September until December 2014. Please
provide a project timeline covering these months. (do not exceed 500 characters)

93. Soft Robotics - Squeeze Fold Bend
and Expand - Structural Memory in
Deformable Objects.
A project in collaboration with The Crafts
Council and Kings College London working
with Thrishantha Nanayakkara,
Naomi Mcintosh and Nantachai Sornkarn.
http://de-reform.blogspot.co.uk/

94. control

96. first visit

98. research

100. framework

103. blog

104. http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/articles/craft-and-healthcare/

105. research testing sampling designing finished pieces

106. relevance

111. share

115. editing

118. choice

120. collaboration

125. hybrid

127. flip an idea

134. testing

137. workshop

143. reflection

149. problem solve

153. documentation

159. other

161. sampling

163. breaking rules

177. materials

182. more other

186. rethink

187. http://de-reform.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/foldfoldfoldfoldingmachines.html

188. more testing

193. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HqKwnRKDQI&feature=youtu

194. more testing

198. versions

206. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfOVMb5ecsk&feature=youtu.be

207. steal

211. refine

215. http://de-reform.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/somelightthoughts.html

216. production

220. knowing

237. more reflection

239. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SvGQB9Vk-c

241. http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/parallel-practices
/

242. http://de-reform.blogspot.co.uk/