New cultural programme at London College of Fashion

London College of Fashion (LCF) has shared details of a new cultural programme that will be open to the public from September.

The college, part of University of the Arts London (UAL), is relocating to a new campus at East Bank in Stratford. There, it will be part of multi-site project being built on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park worth £1.1 billion, which is set to home leading culture and education institutions.

LCF plans to launch its new calendar to coincide with the move, making it the first building in the cultural quarter to announce a prominent public offer.

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The college says the programme will celebrate East London's artists and communities, "creating exciting, unique opportunities for Londoners to visit East Bank”.

It is also anticipating a number of collaborations with its future East Bank neighbours, including V&A East, Sadler’s Wells, UCL East and the BBC.

Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor of London for Culture and Creative Industries, said the East Bank development will see “world-class institutions bring thousands of jobs to the area and opportunities for young and emerging creative talent”.

“LCF’s new home will be a step-change, bringing more than 6,500 students to this inspiring building in the Olympic Park and growing the next generation of creatives,” she added.

“What better way to celebrate this milestone than with this fantastic cultural programme of free events for Londoners and visitors to enjoy.”

Annual event

LCF plans to make the cultural programme an annual event featuring three to five major exhibitions a year curated by staff, students and local partners, plus a series of weekend, after-hours and pop-up events.

The first edition will begin with Designed for Life, an exhibition using textile, film, photography, artefact and personal case studies to highlight how fashion and design can build community cohesion.

Other planned events include National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Making More Mischief, which will examine the role of costume in local and seasonal folk customs and a series of monthly talks with experts and influencers entitled LCF Sampled.

The fashion college also plans to incorporate its annual undergraduate and postgraduate shows into its new programme.

Professor Andrew Teverson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College, London College of Fashion, UAL, said the cultural programme will showcase work of staff and students on a global scale.

“This will also provide new ways to expand our long-standing engagement work rooted in the values of social responsibility, sustainability, diversity and conscientious learning,” Teverson added.

“This balance at the core of the cultural programme will be key to building trust, developing audiences and celebrating the work of our fantastic teams and collaborators.”