My Self Initiated project is a collaborative project with my peer; since we both study Design for Branded Spaces, we decided to create a podcast to encourage 18-24-year-olds to attend cultural spaces. Featuring five episodes 20 minutes long, we will connect trends to current exhibitions and public spaces. One statistic from the taking part survey that stood out to me the most when beginning my research was that 45% aged 16-24 years visited at least once in the last 12 months in 20/20. Our mission is to make attending cultural spaces trendy, but if listeners cannot participate, they still gain insight and knowledge through our conversations. We have to accept that the level of expertise will never be enough as attending holding discussions will hopefully provoke some critical thinking amongst young people. By doing an Instagram alongside the podcast, we have aimed to bring out a visual side for people who may not attend, attempting to bring the exhibitions to them if they can not participate. I've always been interested in spaces, mainly how they enrich and enhance our lives. Whether retail spaces, public spaces, or cultural spaces, all have rich, insightful qualities to better an individual's cultural capital. This idea of cultural capital comes from a French sociologist, Bourdieu defined this theory as "familiarity with the legitimate culture within a society" (Bourdieu, 1984). The idea is that cultural capital is passed on through parenting. However, someone's economic and social capital can hinder their ability to engage with these spaces. Through the podcast, we aim to eliminate this boundary that some individuals may face towards gaining this type of capital. Personally, there is something beautiful about these spaces; they inspire, help you make mental connections, they exercise your mind to create and help create meanings. The critical theory of indeterminacy supports the idea of persecution and interpretation, "a perceptual phenomenon that occurs when a viewer is presented with a seemingly meaningful visual stimulus that denies easy or immediate identification" (Pepperell, 2006). As a young designer, I am motivated to make these experiences accessible and inspiring. As a spatial designer, the increase of immersive spaces excites me for the future of exhibition spaces. While it attracts younger audiences, it revolutionises how we engage with the material. Over the past few years, podcasts have become increasingly popular, especially among younger people. The weekly reach of podcasts listeners is listened to by 22% of 15-24-year-olds. Since COVID19, there has been a 19.7% rise in podcast listeners in the UK. After deciding, we wanted to encourage the engagement of 18-24-year-olds with cultural spaces; we decided the best way to explore this was through a podcast. Therefore we have combined current trends with museum and gallery exhibitions, both psychical and virtual and retail spaces. As part of my research, I researched the taking part survey; I found was that 39.3% of young adults' reasoning for not attending museums was that they had no time. Part of our aim for the podcast was to make people aware of what's happening in these spaces, help them gain insight, take on board factual information and knowledge without visiting the space. This form of passive learning helps people absorb new information. Research shows 32% of people listen to podcasts while commuting, a free way to keep up to date on a tight schedule! The idea to create an Instagram to support the podcast was purely for visual documentation for listeners to engage with. A starting point for our research was brainstorming what the current trends are amongst our demographic. One of our episodes will be about new technologies and digital art linked with LUX: New Wave of Contemporary Art at 180 The Strand. Relating to NFTs and digital art technologies, we thought this exhibition encapsulates the new direction of art. These exhibitions are more attractive to younger audiences as we have grown up with the digital age. The new normal has brought innovation, new ways of working and new artwork. Being responsive and aware of the change is fundamental. We plan to research virtual exhibitions, public spaces and retail spaces to give a full synopsis of engaging and inspiring spaces. Defining a self-initiated project has been very valuable. It has pushed me to engage with my practice in a reflective way, hold discussions and challenge opinions. Mainly it has made me question my position in the new normal, where it situates me as a designer and the viewer/engager. Olaf Eliasson believes the viewer completes an artwork "without the viewer there is, in a way, nothing." Highlighting the importance of perception and interpretation, I think the new way we engage with spaces places the viewer as the subject; they're the purpose, the completion of the piece itself. Previously I would have agreed and accepted Eliasson's opinion; however, now I question the viewer's role in participation. Since the pandemic, I have realised the importance of spaces being boundless, with no restrictions of interacting and engaging anywhere in the world. Developing a new agency has widened my inquiry into making spaces widely accessible. My SIP stemmed from personal interest but has grown into a focal point and direction for my final year. My dissertation is closely linked to this, looking at the engagement of young people in immersive spaces. With the rise of immersive "Instagrammable" exhibitions, I have now questioned the level of engagement amongst young people. Are they engaging with the space or engaging with social media? Creating a podcast has made me understand how to reach audiences that cant attend. Overall, I have discovered my keen interest in the engagement of spaces, increasing engagement amongst young people, and, more importantly, revolutionising the spaces we know. Regarding future ambitions, I feel there is more direction and purpose to push the boundaries, make spaces Instagrammable but rich in content and information, and create unique experiences and experiences people will talk about and post about. But most importantly, make spaces that inspire and make future generations question.
"That's the muse for me: the next generation. And I want my work to inspire people like them" – Virgil Abloh References: Bourdieu, Pierre (1984) Distinction, Routledge Pepperell, R. (2006). Seeing without objects: visual indeterminacy and art. Leonardo 39, 394–400 Links: https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/54932/1/virgil-abloh-inspiring-powerful-quotes-louis-vuitton-off-white https://culturallearningalliance.org.uk/what-is-cultural-capital https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/podcast-statistics https://podnews.net/update/rajar-midas-survey-q1-2020 https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/17-reasons-art-galleries-improve-memory/ https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taking-part-201920-museums/museums-taking-part-survey-201920 https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/book_report/without-the-viewer-there-is-nothing-olafur-eliasson-on-positioning-the-audience-and-the-notion-of-55556
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