The Royal College of Art Podcast

Royal College of Art
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The Royal College of Art (RCA), the QS world number 1 university for art and design, brings you insight into the philosophy behind the programmes at the RCA by talking to staff, students, and the wider RCA community about what we do here and how the work of architects, artists, communicators, designers and researchers affect the world at large.

  1. JAN 16

    Should creativity be an essential part of patient care, or is it just a ‘nice to have’ addition?

    00:00:00 Introduction: Can creativity transform the future of healthcare? 00:01:35 From "nice-to-have" to vital: Defining creative health today 00:06:12 Making the invisible visible: Immersive tech and body image 00:11:45 Reclaiming the narrative: Finding the beauty in illness 00:17:30 Positive distraction: VR as a tool for empathy and healing 00:22:15 The systemic challenge: Funding, social prescribing, and sustainability 00:27:50 Addressing compassion fatigue: Supporting our healthcare staff 00:32:10 The second journey: Navigating the transition back to community 00:37:45 Speculative visions: The hospital of the future as a community hub 00:43:20 The power of play: Why healthcare needs more curiosity The role of art and creativity in wellbeing is no longer a fringe idea. We explore how creative health helps patients process their experiences, reclaim their personal narratives, and reimagines the future of care. In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Christoph Lindner is joined by two practitioners who have dedicated their practice to the impact of creative expression on wellbeing: Camille Baker, Professor of Interactive and Immersive Art in the School of Communication, whose immersive VR projects like Mammary Mountain and Into/Her explore the hidden, internal experiences of disease, trauma, and body image.Lottie Barnes, Creative Health Professional, former Churchill Fellow, and the artist behind Finding the Beauty in Illness, a photography project documenting her personal journey through cancer treatment.Get more information: ⁠Learn more about the ⁠RCA's programmes.⁠⁠Learn more about ⁠applying and studying at the RCA⁠.⁠⁠Discover more from the ⁠RCA podcast.⁠

    45 min

  2. 11/27/2025

    Will AI help to nurture our relationship with the natural world, or erode it?

    00:00:00 Introduction: Will AI Nurture or Erode Our Relationship with Nature? 00:00:50 Will AI Nurture or Erode Our Relationship with Nature? 00:05:59 The Non-Human Lens: Is Our Humanness the Block to AI & Nature? 00:09:39 Data as an Art Material: A Taxonomy for Artists and Creatives 00:14:37 Project: Models of Care – Low-Resource AI & the Melting Glacier 00:17:58 Project: RAT Systems – Data Privacy and Naked Mole Rats 00:22:37 Will AI End Human Creativity? The Flourishing of a Creative Age 00:26:16 AI Ethics: What is the Social Contract with Other Intelligences? 00:35:35 The Great Contradiction: AI's Carbon Footprint vs. Saving the Planet 00:42:53 The Cost of a Search: Should We Have an AI Carbon Calculator? Artificial intelligence is impacting every aspect of our lives, but what does its exponential rise mean for the natural world? In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President and Vice-Chancellor Christoph Lindner is joined by two leading voices working at the intersection of art and design, living systems and future technology. Guests Dr Danielle Barrios O’Neill: Danielle is Associate Dean (Academic Planning & Development), Schools of Communication and Design. Her research explores complex living systems, technology, and the use of advanced play and speculative design to help humans engage with and reshape ‘wicked problems’, like climate change.Dr Julie Freeman: Julie is Founder of art and design studios Translating Nature and ShapedSound. Her work has seen her turn raw data from living systems, like fish or mole rats, into physical and sonic artworks. Julie's most recent work, Models of Care, uses data from Arctic glaciers to explore environmental responsibility and the relationship between artificial intelligence, climate change, and human agency.Get more information: Learn more about the ⁠RCA's programmes.Learn more about ⁠applying and studying at the RCA⁠.Discover more from the ⁠RCA podcast.

    50 min
  3. Does public art make shared spaces more inclusive or exclusive?

    09/10/2025

    Does public art make shared spaces more inclusive or exclusive?

    In this episode of the RCA Podcast, RCA President Christoph Lindner speaks with artist and educator Sarah Staton and architect Liza Fior about the power of public art and architecture in shaping belonging, community, and inclusion. They explore its power to invite connection, the challenges of gentrification, and the ways art can redefine the spaces we share. Guests: Sarah Staton: Sculptor, educator, and Senior Tutor of the RCA’s MA Sculpture programme, whose permanent commissions explore how public works can foster connection across generations. Liza Fior: Founding partner of Muf architecture/art and Professor of Architecture and Spatial Practice at Central Saint Martins, known for award-winning projects that put community at the centre of urban design. Get more information: Learn more about the RCA's programmes.Lear more about applying and studying at the RCA.Discover more from the RCA podcast.

    39 min

  4. 01/15/2025

    How can scientists and designers collaborate to protect our oceans? With the National Oceanography Centre

    In 2024, representatives from the Royal College of Art (RCA) joined the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on an expedition from Greenland to Iceland onboard Royal Research Ship James Cook, but what exactly was an art school doing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?  In this collaborative episode, Into the Blue Podcast and the Royal College of Art Podcast join together to explore the critical role of collaboration in tackling the challenges facing our oceans. Professor Ashley Hall, Professor of Design and Innovation in the School of Design and Lead Researcher on NEMO (New Economic Model for the Ocean) at the RCA, is joined by Marine Biogeochemist and Biological Oceanographer Dr Filipa Carvalho. The pair discuss the unique partnership, how their projects are helping us to better understand climate tipping points, and the role of co-design processes that connect life on land with ocean systems to incorporate local knowledge and perspectives. Discover more: Find out more about NOC's time in Greenland and Iceland. Learn more the partnership between the RCA and NOC Learn more about NEMO (New Economic Models for the Ocean) at the RCA Listen to more podcasts: Subscribe to Into the Blue podcast Subscribe to the RCA Podcast

    38 min
  5. How can we make creative education and fashion truly equitable? with Joyce Addai Davis and Andrew Ibi

    11/04/2024

    How can we make creative education and fashion truly equitable? with Joyce Addai Davis and Andrew Ibi

    What does a genuinely ‘decentered’ space look like in creative education and the fashion industry? Ahead of the upcoming FACE (Fashion Academics Creating Equity) Summit at the Royal College of Art on November 7-8, 2024, we explore the deep, systemic work necessary to create fairer, more inclusive spaces within the arts and education. FACE is a pioneering collective founded to confront inequities in creative education, championing the intersection of fashion, art, and academia as a force for meaningful change. This episode’s host is Joyce Addai Davis—an RCA Fashion MA graduate, footwear designer, and the first Black female academic in RCA’s Fashion Department. Joyce shares insights from her journey in academia, where her work bridges sustainable fashion practices with critical questions about waste and equity. Joining her is Andrew Ibi, a co-founder of FACE, creative director and fashion curator, who recently curated “The Missing Thread” exhibition at Somerset House. With his extensive experience as a course leader at Liverpool John Moores University and as an external examiner at RCA, Andrew brings invaluable insight into what it takes to create decentered, inclusive, and anti-racist spaces. In this episode, Joyce and Andrew discuss: What it means to “decenter” a space in education and industry FACE’s upcoming summit at the RCA Joyce's experience studying Fashion at the RCA, under the leadership of Zowie Broach Practical steps institutions can take today toward a fairer, more open future for allWhether you’re in academia, fashion, or an ally for change, listen to discover the vision and actions needed to reshape the future of creative education and the fashion industry. Register your free place at the ⁠FACE Summit⁠ Learn more about ⁠FACE⁠ Read the FACE RACE Handbook for Educators Learn more about the ⁠RCA⁠ Explore ⁠news and events⁠ from the RCA Discover the work of ⁠Joyce Addai Davis⁠Follow along on social media: #FACExRCA2024

    34 min
  6. RCA2024 Dean's Download: Festival of Communication

    07/17/2024 · BONUS

    RCA2024 Dean's Download: Festival of Communication

    In the final episode of our Dean's Downloads series for RCA2024, we catch up with Kerry Curtis, Dean of the School of Communication. Kerry chats with Etan about The Festival of Communication, which takes place across a variety of London locations between 17 July and 4 August. They discuss the innovative programmes at the School, which explore how communication shapes our lives and develop new ways to interact with the world. Kerry tells us of the various mediums used by students, from animation, data visualisation, and game design to graphic design, illustration, XR, AI, generative systems, and immersive experiences like soundscapes and performances. The festival includes a range of events across 3 weeks, taking place at the RCA White City campus, and Television Centre and MediaWorks, also both in White City, as well as at The Outernet on Tottenham Court Road, and the RCA Battersea campus. The programmes featured are: Information Experience Design MA Digital Direction MA Visual Communication MA Animation MA Communication MFAAll parts of The Festival of Communication for RCA2024 are free to attend, and no registration is required. Find the full schedule for the exhibitions, events and activities for the School of Communication for RCA2024. Discover more about the School of Communication at the RCA. Find out how to apply to the RCA.

    22 min
  7. RCA2024 Dean's Download: discover the School of Design

    07/12/2024 · BONUS

    RCA2024 Dean's Download: discover the School of Design

    In the third episode of our Dean's Downloads series for RCA2024, we catch up with Professor Paul Anderson, Dean of the School of Design. We discuss the School's upcoming exhibition taking place from Friday 12 - Sunday 14 July at RCA Battersea Campus. The School's exhibition will take place across two weeks in the Studio Building on the RCA's Battersea Campus on Howie Street. Paul chats to Etan about the broad variety of practices of the students, how they interact with the public and industry, and how he hopes visitors will actively engage with the work on show in RCA2024. Week 1: 12 - 14 July MA Service Design MA Textiles MA Intelligent Mobility MDes Design Futures Week 2: 19 - 21 July MA Design Products MA Fashion MA/MSCs Global Innovation Design MA/MSCs Innovation Design Engineering Open times: 12pm – 7.30pm on Fridays 12pm to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays Last entry will be 30 mins before closing time, so get in early. Find the full schedule for the exhibitions, events and activities for the School of Design for RCA2024. Learn more about the School on the ⁠RCA website⁠. Listen to other episodes in this series: School of Architecture School of Arts & Humanities

    17 min
  8. RCA2024 Dean's Download: What to expect from the School of Architecture

    07/10/2024 · BONUS

    RCA2024 Dean's Download: What to expect from the School of Architecture

    In the second episode of our Dean's Downloads series for RCA2024, we catch up with Dr Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the School of Architecture. The School's exhibition will take place at The Truman Brewery on London's Brick Lane from Friday 12 - Sunday 14 July 2024. Adrian chats to Etan about the School, how its programmes operate, and the themes of the work that will be on show. Programmes include: MA Architecture MA City Design MA Environmental Architecture MA Interior DesignThe exhibition is free to attend and you don’t need to register. Find the full schedule for the exhibitions, events and activities for the School of Architecture for RCA2024. Learn more about the School on the RCA website. Listen to other episodes in this series: ⁠School of Design ⁠School of Arts & Humanities⁠

    21 min
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The Royal College of Art (RCA), the QS world number 1 university for art and design, brings you insight into the philosophy behind the programmes at the RCA by talking to staff, students, and the wider RCA community about what we do here and how the work of architects, artists, communicators, designers and researchers affect the world at large.

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