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Futures Talks #2: The Takeaways.
The second in our Futures Talks series on 18 Nov brought together six incredible creatives forging their own unique paths across a number of fields including arts management, digital design, interaction, art direction, fashion, and genetics.
They shared their stories of interdisciplinary independence, with an audience of students, graduates and creative professionals at Chelsea College of Art.Â
Read on for our choice takeaways from each speaker...
Julien Simshauser
German born Julien, is a London-based Director, Interaction Designer, Motion Designer and Image Maker, with a lovely turn of phrase of too. He is also the founder of Builders Club, a creative collective crafting visual experiences.
The Flow Channel
âYou have to find the right balance between boredom and anxiety, between skill and challenge, so the bigger your skill the higher you have to push up the challenge, in order to stay inside of the flow channel - which is the perfect balance between challenge and skill.â
The Happiness Zine Wave
âThe bigger the client, the smaller the freedom, during the project, but also the bigger the client the bigger the pay, and the bigger the pay, the bigger the freedom once you receive the money.
I have this theory - The Happiness Zine Wave - itâs basically going from budget to fun always in your life. And thatâs how you have to approach it when youâre a designer.âÂ
@BuildersClub15
Iona Inglesby
Combining her passions for art and science, Iona is the founder of Dot One, a startup that uses your DNA to create unique prints and personalised textiles.Â
Do what you want to
âThere were three main interests when I was growing up, that have continued as an adult, interest in science in data, obsession of adventure and a love of making.â
âI studied here (at Chelsea) for my BA, and did Textile Design. After the first year I didnât feel like I fitted in at all in the discipline, everyone was going into fashion or interiors and I had no interest in that, but Iâd gone this far...my tutors left me alone a bit, they didnât know what to do with me, and said youâre either going to get a first or a third.â
âThe moral of the story is really do what you want to do, it doesnât matter what course youâre on.â
@IonaInglesbyÂ
DVTKÂ
Designers Kim Boutin and David Broner aka DVTK moved from Paris four months ago to start a new adventure in London. Hereâs their animated story, narrated by Siri!
âUse your passions, bring external references to your work, that can lead to make original forms and concepts. With social media thereâs a lot of self digestion - take everything around you and ride the zeitgeist.â
@D_V_T_KÂ
Freya MurrayÂ
Freya runs Stamp House, a platform that supports artists working in the digital sector. As an arts manager and producer she has worked on over 60 projects and partnerships with arts organisations and artists, including setting up Sky Academy Arts Scholarships - one of the biggest awards for emerging artists aged 18 â 30.
Be flexibleÂ
âWhen youâre choosing your path, donât worry about being an expert in everything. Surround yourself with really brilliant people. Be flexible, be bold, be resilient. And be patient, donât expect everything to happen at once.â Â
Build your network (and go for lots of coffee).
âWhatâs been key for me is building my network. My last project came about by going along to a meetup called the enlightenment cafe, and had a beer with someone, because iâd bumped into a friend of a friend of a friend, and I ended up getting a job. Recommendations are key. Itâs all about building up trust and building your network.â
Itâs never too late to connect
âWhen I was first starting out I remembered a chat I had with someone five years ago, so I looked her up and sent her an email and said âi really enjoyed our chat five years ago and you probably donât remember who I am, but I think we could have a another good chat,â and she replied instantly.â
@Frymeister
Kate Dawkins
An award-winning senior creative and art director Kate has worked with teams around the world to create stunning interactive visual experiences for some of the largest global brands including the London 2012 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Adidas, Ford, BBC, GSK, Elton John and MTV European Music Awards.
âYou think youâre on a path thatâs going one direction and then something completely spins it.â
âI worked on this fantastic music video [for Elton John], really loved working on it. But it was seen by David Lapel, the photographer, who was at the time working on Elton Johnâs show in Las Vegas, he was the Art Director, Â and he saw this, and he said this is the direction I want, âfind out who did this, and I want this person and this company to make the stuff.â So, probably from a tiny little music video we went and produced the content for one of the largest HD screens in the world at the time.
âSo it was the first move into creating visuals for stage, and I think whatâs fantastic about this, and whatâs been talked about tonight, is this sense of collaboration, and the fact you canât do these things alone, it is a sense of coming together, team work, family, having people who know what theyâre doing and people who donât know what theyâre doing. Also thereâs an understanding of itâs not about you, itâs not about your visuals, thereâs amazing stage sets, band, there could be cast, thereâs costumes, itâs a very holistic world to work in.â
Futures Talks: #3 Internet Age MediaÂ
Our next Futures Talks takes place in Wed 9 Dec at LCC. Sign-up to our newsletter for details and tickets when theyâre released.Â













