As the result of his Stanley Picker Design Fellowship research (2014-2016), Onkar Kular transforms the gallery into the Stanley Picker Creators Academy (SPCA).
Over recent years there has been a global rise in new types of creative working environments, from co-working and creative office hub spaces as seen in Wework and Second Home, to large-scale workplaces of media organisations, such as Google and Facebook.
Terms like Collaboration, Sharing and Community are commonly found in the branding and mission statements of organisations that provide or facilitate such working spaces. These reflect a certain ethos, generally focused around how they support and incubate individuals to work more efficiently, create more professional content, and ultimately access more lucrative opportunities and financial capital.
Collaboration, Sharing and Community are the working values that are reconsidered as part of the SPCA. By staging the spatial and organisational features normally found in creative working environments, the SPCA examines how these terms are used by organisations to incubate creativity and suggest possible ways that they can be refocused and repurposed in order to create alternative forms of capital.
Designed together with architect Inigo Minns, the SPCA includes different zones for work, booths for meeting and conference calling, brainstorming and hot-desking stations, fast Internet connection together with areas for relaxing and socialising. Operating an ‘Open Use’ policy, the SPCA offers a free working space available for Kingston University staff, students, as well as the general public.
Alongside the many spatial features, creative work organisations often run events programmes for the purpose of general inspiration and staff development. The SPCA reflects this with its own ‘carefully curated programme’ to host a series of public activities; including talks, yoga classes and various networking opportunities. Additionally the SPCA explores the core values of Collaboration, Sharing and Community through workshops for local charitable organisations, schools and community groups as well as Kingston University students and staff.