Kingston School of Art and Indian Institute of Art and Design set up conversation-based platform for creative thinkers

A collaboration between Kingston School of Art's Design School and the Indian Institute of Art and Design will see students and academics come together to exchange ideas on a new platform set up to provide a shared space for curious and creative minds.

Through a series of six online talks hosted on the platform, called JAMBOREE, thought leaders from both institutions will hold discussions about topics and themes based around design practice, including fashion, graphic design, illustration and sustainability. The sessions aim to support students to build bridges across cultures and borders.

JAMBOREE has been designed as an inclusive and democratic space for discussion, nurturing alliances, encouraging partnerships and celebrating the connections and differences between design schools. Students from both institutions will work together in the sessions, sharing their experiences and vision in a break from traditional lecture theatre learning. Student ambassadors will also play a key role in each event.

Head of Kingston School of Art's Design School Damian Chapman said he hoped the collaboration would result in a dynamic shift in students' worldview. "Culturally it's important students and academics at Kingston School of Art exchange ideas and skills with others looking at similar subjects in different parts of the globe," he said. "The richness that brings for students and staff is phenomenal. It broadens horizons for students, enabling them to create networks and opportunities while opening up greater understanding of developing concepts."

Mr Chapman said he was a firm believer that organisations were constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed through conversation. "By working with other design schools, conversations are opened up, new friendships are made and different challenges start to be understood," he explained. "Kington School of Art design students might be working on projects in London, Paris or Milan, while Indian Institute of Art and Design students bring completely different perspectives through their lived experience in New Delhi and surrounding areas."

Indian Institute of Art and Design Director of Academic Affairs Professor Usha Patel said JAMBOREE was not only a way to share ideas but also about creating knowledge together. "Promoting diversity in our socio-cultural context, this is a multi-directional approach to the issues and opportunities design is facing," she said.

The series kicked off with a talk from Kingston School of Art's programme lead for the Sustainable Fashion: Business and Practices MA, Dr Sass Brown. It focused on fashion design with the imperative of sustainability and the environment at its core, followed by a panel discussion and open forum in which participants from both institutions discussed how they could work towards building a future with an emphasis on more sustainable fashion.

JAMBOREE continues in January with two sessions, starting on 11 January with a talk by associate professor Shaaz Ahmed from the Indian Institute of Art & Design entitled Medium is the Hero, an exploration into the versatility of material animation. This is followed a week later with Poetic Objects, a talk which will see Kingston School of Art associate professor Jake Abrams speak about finding ideas through objects.

• Find out more about the Design School at Kingston School of Art.
• Find out more about the Indian Institute of Art and Design.