Press
Press Release: Kings Cross Urban Pioneers Underway
Date of release:5 February 2010
Young People Explore Regeneration through The Architecture Foundation’s King’s Cross Urban Pioneers programme
Between now and 30 March, The Architecture Foundation is working with a team of six young people living or studying in Camden and Islington, aged 16-19, to critically explore the heritage of the architecture around King's Cross and the changes that are underfoot, through the King’s Cross Urban Pioneers education programme, supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund, CABE, Kings Cross Central and Eurostar.
"The aim of the Urban Pioneers programme is to build an understanding of past, present and future local public spaces and buildings, and how these places can affect the people who use them,” explains Ruby Wright, Education Coordinator at The Architecture Foundation, and Mentor to the Urban Pioneers.
Over the ten day programme, the Pioneers will take part in filmmaking, radio production and web design workshops; visit examples of excellent public realm design; interview residents, be introduced to key players in the King's Cross Central area including architects, engineers, designers, developers, historians, artists and journalists and travel to Lille courtesy of Eurostar with The Times’ Architecture Correspondent and Culture Show regular Tom Dyckhoff to write articles comparing the two cities’ station architecture.
The Pioneers’ work will culminate in a celebration event at The German Gymnasium on 30 March 2010, which will showcase the Pioneers’ research and officially launch their website: http://www.urbanpioneers.org.uk/kingscross
Sarah Ichioka, Director of The Architecture Foundation explains: “The age group of the selected participants is particularly significant – by working with 16-19 year-olds thinking about career possibilities, The Architecture Foundation hopes to encourage the Pioneers to consider the built environment sectors.”
Participants in the Urban Pioneers programmes are always local to the area being studied. For this project, students were recruited from City and Islington Sixth Form College, and St Mary Magdalene Academy – both in the borough of Islington. Participants are from Camden, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Haringey and Enfield.
King's Cross Urban Pioneers is the third installment of this education programme launched by The Architecture Foundation in autumn 2008. Past projects have focused on the More London development and Witherford Watson Mann architects’ public realm framework for Bankside. Future projects are planned for London and Manchester including two collaborations with The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust’s Architecture for Everyone programme, and with CUBE architecture centre in Manchester. October 2010 will see the launch of a new education programme entitled Urban Sages, which will introduce participants aged 65 and over to regeneration in their local communities.
The King's Cross Urban Pioneers will be contributing regularly to their blog, which can be accessed at http://www.urbanpioneers.org.uk/kingscross.
Notes to editors
The Architecture Foundation
www.architecturefoundation.org.uk
The Architecture Foundation is a non-profit agency for contemporary architecture, urbanism and culture. We cultivate new talent and new ideas. Through our diverse programmes we facilitate international and interdisciplinary exchange, stimulate critical engagement amongst professionals, policy makers and a broad public, and shape the quality of the built environment. We are independent, agile, inclusive and influential.
Central to our activities is the belief that architecture enriches lives.
The Urban Pioneers
www.urbanpioneers.org.uk/kingscross
The Architecture Foundation's Urban Pioneers education programme engages teams of 16-19 year olds in areas of London undergoing dramatic change. Young people are empowered to critically explore the transformations happening around them and develop new skills through a series of workshops with professionals including architects, engineers, filmmakers, artists, designers and writers.
Confirmed Activity Schedule for Kings Cross Urban Pioneers Kings Cross Urban Pioneers:
• Engineering and station architecture with Alastair Lansley and ARUP
• Trip to Lille with Tom Dyckhoff
• Radio production and oral history with Alan Dein
• Architecture workshop with Squire and Partners
• Filmmaking with Harriet Fleuriot
• Community architecture with Public Works
• Fanzine production with Tom Keeley
• Web Design with Young Creative Network
• Computer Aided Design with BDP
• Celebration event at The German Gymnasium: 30 March 2010
For more information, please contact:
Ruby Wright
Education Coordinator
The Architecture Foundation
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Telephone: (0)20 708 46767
King’s Cross Urban Pioneers project could not have been made possible without the generous support of the following organisations: The Heritage Lottery Fund, CABE, King's Cross Central, and Eurostar.
The Architecture Foundation
is a registered charity: number 1006361
