Second year project with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Design for Performance second year students completed a live brief in collaboration with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, in response to their Birmingham Revolutions: Power to the People exhibition. After visiting the exhibition and meeting the curator, the students were given the challenge of choosing one object from the exhibition to develop a narrative and concept design for an exhibition that engages the visitor in a theatrical, immersive and interactive way.
To support the students through this project, we invited Tom Piper to talk about his practice, which crosses theatre, installation and exhibition design. Most people will recognise Tom’s work through his design for the ‘Poppies’ installation (Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red), initially at the Tower of London and created in collaboration with the ceramicist Paul Cummins. However, Tom also has a long career as a Theatre Designer, particularly for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has also designed many exhibitions including the new Alice: Curious and Curiouser for the V&A Museum.
“The concept was based on highlighting the stories of families and individuals who were conscientious objectors during World War 1 in Birmingham, such as the Cadbury family. It explored how conscientious objectors were treated during the war and also the groups that were set-up to assist in the war effort without fighting – such as The Friends Ambulance Unit”
– Joshua Beale, L5 Design for Performance
