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Gem Barton
Founder at 'Experimental Realism: speculative architecture + design pedagogy' - Co-Founder at O-SSD: Office for Speculative Spatial Design - Author and Academic
Professional Background
Gem Barton is a dynamic author, academic, and consultant who has significantly contributed to the fields of design, pedagogy, and futures consulting. With an evergreen curiosity for innovative practices, Gem’s professional journey has been marked by an emphasis on experimental realism—a pedagogic model designed to meld cinematic storytelling with fictive approaches to design—in order to forge human-centered spaces and experiences. This approach not only fosters creative thinking but also cultivates essential life skills needed for navigating uncertainties in design and beyond.
As the Course Leader for the Master of Arts in Interior Design at the University of Brighton, Gem imparts invaluable knowledge to aspiring designers, emphasizing innovative thinking and the importance of speculative methodologies in design education. Additionally, Gem has held various impactful roles across esteemed academic institutions, including serving as a Principal Lecturer and Associate Lecturer at the University of Brighton, as well as design-related roles at universities such as Manchester Metropolitan University and Leicester School of Architecture.
Throughout Gem's career, the intersection of design, culture, and education has been a constant area of focus. They have been integral in curriculum development and had a significant impact as an external examiner for programs like the BA Interior Design at the Glasgow School of Art and other international institutions.
Highlights
On 15th Sept I’ll be in conversation on the theme of play at the V&A with Nina Tolstrup (Co-founder, Studio Mama), Ben Channon (Director, Ekkist), Yoshimoto Hideki (Founder, Tangent and Craft x Tech) Art) and Alex Newson (Chief Curator, Young V&A).
I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the critical role of play in the education and practices of worldbuilding.
Free tickets link in comments.
Edit: yes I’ll be hanging about afterwards. Let me know if you fancy a coffee ☕️
https://lnkd.in/gZDbN4jq
I meet lots of people, many of whom are surprised to hear I am a full-time academic Royal College of Art - “Do they still exist? We are a rare breed these days with fractional posts leading recruitment and workload decisions. Typical next questions are around “how much teaching do you do?” “What kind of research?” “But do you practice?”
Every single week in academia is different. Take last week for example (bearing in mind it’s summer vacation for the students) here’s just some of the things that kept me busy:
💫 judging for Cat Tully’s School of International Futures (SOIF) NGFP
✍️ writing an essay to accompany Allen Sayegh epic research project for Harvard University Graduate School of Design
🗣️ chatting with new and established LinkedIn connections; Corbin La Mont, Stella L., Elliot James, Markus Ahola, Ulrike Steven
📖 working through my presentation for ANTICIPATION Conference at Lancaster University, Imagination Lancaster, @LICA in September. (So excited for this - anyone else going in person please reach out).
✍️ writing letters of recommendation for graduates
📧 comms and strategy for the Architecture LGBT+ Academic Champions Network that I run
🏃♀️ I also squeezed in 30km of running through the hills and by the sea 🤩
As for my practice - yes I do - check out
