actually impacting the environment around us. how the industry works as well it is for us to understand its surrounding discourse, materiality of the cloud is necessary in order It is only by acknowledging that the physical FOR OUR LONG-TERM HEALTH AND SURVIVAL. OUR SKINS HEALTH IS CRITICAL THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE. WE MUST MAKE own survival. climate for the sake of their that humans are engineering the It is depressing, but not surprising LONELINESS IS NOT JUST A SILENT KILLER BUT A STAIN ON OUR SOCIETY. Is a future that permits and allows virtual rape and sexual exploitation a sign of a decent, functioning and civilised society? Where is IT IS ONLY the dividing RIGHT THAT line between WE BUILD MAdangerous CITIES waste and a THAT WORK lucrative NOT JUST asset? FOR US BUT Despite the rich ALSO FOR cultural heritage of THE WILD- cheesemaking, either LIFE THAT the industry will WE SHARE have to adapt or cease IT WITH. to exist in a future post-dairy world. FORGET ABOUT THE PEOPLE, PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT! FORGET ABOUT THE PEOPLE, PROTECT ENVIRONMENT! FORGET ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, PROTECT PEOPLE! MF Our bodies are a made up of series valuable minerals and materials that could, and should be recycled post-death to ensure a more sustainable and holistic approach to life, the planet and our long term survival. ENTOMOPHAGY, THE CONSUMPTION OF INSECTS AS FOOD IS A CULTURAL TABOO. HOWEVER, IF WE COULD ENSURE THE WELFARE OF THE INSECT, AS WELL ITS SUBSEQUENT HUMANE SLAUGHTER AND HYGIENIC PROCESSING, SHOULDN’T WE CONSIDER IT A NUTRITIONALLY SUPERIOR SUBSTITUTE FOR ANIMALS IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE? 3 Now, more than at any time in our history, This year, it is very clear that our students feel our species needs to work together. We face anxious and apprehensive about what the future awesome environmental challenges: climate holds. However, they stand united in the belief change, food production, overpopulation, the that it is exactly at times like these that they decimation of other species, epidemic disease must highlight, critically engage with and tackle and acidification of the oceans. Together, these pressing issues head on. they are a reminder that we are at the most dangerous moment in the entire development Contrary to our current leaders, the MA Material of human history. We now have the technology Futures philosophy is that only through listening to destroy the planet on which we live, but have to experts, embracing new fields outside of not yet developed the ability to escape it. our own and subverting what we believe to be the inevitable can we even begin to find These are not my words but those of Professor more positive alternative futures. This year’s Stephen Hawking, and they echo the opinions students have risen to the challenge, proactively based on the most sophisticated data, analysis contributing to biological, environmental, and statistical evidence ever collected by the technological, political and social change. international scientific community. The sheer diversity of projects this year shows I think it is safe to say that 2016/17 has been a willingness to expand the horizons of design a disastrous year. A year in which ‘Post-truth’ and find new, often very personal approaches became the Oxford Dictionary word of the year, to dealing with this uncertain future, from where we witnessed three terrorist attacks in virtual-reality rape to fast-fashion, entomophagy the UK in the space of three months and as to space mining, our students explore the moral, this publication goes to print we see President social, environmental and ethical implications Trump withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate of how our actions today could drastically Agreement, in a blatant denial of the global impact the way we live tomorrow. dangers posed by climate change. This is just the beginning for our graduates as they Truth it seems, is now a matter of choice; facts join an ever-expanding network of successful become secondary to what we decide we want designers and practitioners from the Material to believe rather than what we should believe. Futures programme who are paving the way in But how long can we continue on this path of proposing new, more sustainable alternatives to ignoring evidence that clearly shows we need the challenges of our changing world. to act now? To all the practitioners, visiting lecturers, experts and technicians that have contributed to making this year’s projects a success, thank you. KIEREN JONES, COURSE LEADER 4 5 The intersection THE PROGRAMME Material Futures is a two-year Masters course at UAL Central Saint Martins, dedicated to exploring how we of craft, science will live in the future. The course is divided into two units across two years. and technology Year one provides an intensive and reactive learning experience. Students are exposed to a broad variety of new ideas and technical processes through a combination of workshops, lectures, expert collaborations and OUR AIM IS TO ACTIVELY RE-THINK THE FUTURE. individual project briefs. Providing a bombardment of new ideas, processes and skills, our teaching encourages Through collaboration, risk-taking and blurring the worlds students to deconstruct their previous experience and of craft, science and technology we look beyond existing expertise and instead adopt an open, experimental and boundaries to anticipate our future needs, desires and multi-disciplinary approach to design. We value working challenges for the 21st century. with industrial partners and usually incorporate at least one live project during the year. WE ENCOURAGE A WHOLLY MULTI-DISCIPLINARY Year two study encourages students to reflect on their APPROACH TO DESIGN. experiences gained in year one and consider their own design agenda and desired role within the creative Materiality is the starting point of our design process; industries. taking the things we can touch, feel, interact with and observe, we integrate high and low technological materials By synthesizing the new processes and methodologies and processes to respond to the environment around us. introduced to them in first year, with their previous skills and experience, students formulate a single Our students come from and continue to explore within project proposal. All master projects are directed by a diverse range of disciplines, including fashion, a single research question, driven by the student’s architecture, industrial, communication, textile, personal definition of Material Futures in the context critical, digital and speculative design. of a more sustainable future. Collaboration is key and all students engage external RESEARCH IS INTRINSIC TO OUR DESIGN PROCESS. support from established practitioners and experts to help validate and strengthen their final projects. We practice research-driven design. We believe that it is only by observing and analysing how we live today that we Both year groups enjoy a vibrant and diverse Design can begin to consider and explore how we might live more Perspectives lecture programme featuring inspiring sustainably tomorrow. Considering the current and future speakers from the worlds of science, design, critical context of design decisions is key to our ethos, combining theory, craft and technology. social, political, scientific and economic inquiry and insights to help inform future design scenarios, Find out more about joining us here: speculations and artefacts. www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/postgraduate/ma-material-futures/ 6 News, Projects and Workshops that involved hijacking a fin-tech We are delighted to announce that conference. Austin has a special we will be working with the Wes Lunn focus on researching alternative Design and Education Trust in 2017/18 monetary systems and has published to offer another scholarship to a MILAN FURNITURE MATERIAL EXPEDITION 2016 THE INTERNATIONAL numerous research papers on this student from the UK or the EU who FAIR 2017 BIODESIGN CHALLENGE subject. He is passionate about wishes to study Material Futures. These We believe in making, which is why, education and has already got stuck fully funded places enable students Each year we take our final on a cold October morning, we left Following on from the success of their into his role but has still managed to undertake our Masters course for graduating students to exhibit at London behind for the wild hills of Biodesign project, students Nina Cutler to find the time to welcome his two years and cover all fees. With the the Milan Furniture Fair. This year, in Cherry Wood, South Gloucestershire. and Olivia Bargman were selected daughter, Eleanor, into the world. increase in tuition fees making access the heart of the Lambrate design Over the two-day expedition, we to represent Central Saint Martins GOODBYE NELLY BEN HAYOUN Congratulations Austin on your to higher education increasingly district, we produced our largest introduced the students to the ancient at this year’s international Biodesign new arrival from us all at MAMF. difficult we believe this scholarship exhibition to date, 1,700 square feet crafts of shelter making, foraging and Challenge at the Museum of Modern It is with great sadness that we could not have come at a more at Ventura 14. This year saw in excess literally catching their own food. Art (MOMA), New York. We wish them say farewell to Nelly Ben Hayoun who pertinent and important time. of 100,000 visitors and almost every success in this highly regarded was Senior Lecturer and First Year 2,000 design journalists, many of international competition and hope Leader since 2013. Nelly is a world- whom featured our student’s work in they come home with something in renowned designer of experiences their various publications, sites and addition to a Quantum Worm. and has been called the “Willy blogs. We were also nominated as one Wonker” of design. She inspired her of the top 10 exhibitors out of the The Biodesign Challenge will take first year students and encouraged many hundreds of events and shows in place at the Museum of Modern Art them to push the boundaries of what Milan and gained significant exposure (MOMA), New York on the 22-23rd design could be.