Beacon Bursaries awarded to two Bartlett PhD students

Nicola Antaki (Development Planning Unit/School of Architecture) was awarded the bursary for her project ‘A learning architecture: An exhibition of Muktangan community practice-led design research interventions from the Mariamma Nagar settlement’ while Abril Herrera Chavez (School of Architecture) was granted the bursary for her project ‘Storytelling maps and internet clinic’.

Between 2013 and 2016, Nicola worked on a participatory design project with children studying at Muktangan School in Mumbai. An exhibition to bring together all the work they did around developments to their school will be curated and designed through workshops with the children and staff, as well as a series of events.

‘Storytelling maps and internet clinic’ is based on Abril’s PhD research about home technology and internet use in the village of Pendeen in Cornwall. Through this project, Abril will share the results of her research through participatory drop-in events involving storytelling and maps at a community centre in the village. Participants will also get IT support for home gadgets and internet skills training, as her research identified that this support was unavailable in the area.

Beacon Bursaries are available to UCL staff and postgraduate research students looking to connect their research or teaching with people outside UCL.