The event was co-curated and hosted by the SSoA student activist groups MatriArch, Students for Climate Action and Anti-Racist Call to Action. It was sponsored and supported by the Urban Education Live research project and by Live Works, SSoA’s project office and urban room.
The SSoA Theory Forum is an annual event that showcases the work of architectural researchers and practitioners who are exploring a contemporary theme or challenge in architecture and urban design.
Speakers at the 2020 event:
- Nana Biamah-Ofosu and Bushra Mohamed, Kingston University School of Architecture
- Samuel Kalika, Critical Concrete
- Jordan Whitewood-Neal
- Joseph Zeal Henry, Sound Advice
- FeiFei Zhou, Feral Atlas
- Lola Conte, Forensic Architecture
- Prof Bernd Kneiss, Hafencity University Hamburg
- Prof Doina Petrescu, SSoA
- Carolyn Butterworth and Tom Moore, SSoA
Over two sessions the speakers addressed the following questions:
- In the context of global and local challenges how can a school of architecture respond and act effectively and ethically?
- How can a school of architecture model an intersectional approach to anti-racist, feminist, zero-carbon, inclusive and just architectural education, practice and research?
The event featured talks, conversations and the collective production of a ‘Live Manifesto’, hosted by SSoA’s undergraduate Zine group.
The event was very well attended by students and staff from across SSoA and by many recent graduates and alumni of the School. The speakers presented a thought-provoking range of research, design projects and initiatives, all seeking to critique and rethink the normative methods and structures of architectural education. The lively conversations that followed demonstrated a clear desire in the student body to be more ‘live’, that is more activist and responsive to contemporary challenges throughout their educational careers. We’d like to thank all of the contributors to the Theory Forum, especially the co-curating student groups. SSoA highly values the contribution our students are making to this important debate and are committed to work together to continue to develop as the ‘Social School of Architecture’.
Watch the Theory Forum 2020 recordings below:
Wednesday 25 November:
Thursday 26 November:
