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[[{"fid":"16385","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Exhibition graphic with the text 'Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London, Free exhibition, 1 Mar-18 Aug 2023, Octagon Gallery' overlaid in white on a film still showing three backlit figures in silhouette","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Blueprints of Hope","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Exhibition graphic with the text 'Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London, Free exhibition, 1 Mar-18 Aug 2023, Octagon Gallery' overlaid in white on a film still showing three backlit figures in silhouette","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Blueprints of Hope","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"500","width":"800","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Octagon Gallery exhibition ‘Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London’ presents a snapshot of London’s vital queer cityscape, past and present.The exhibition has been curated by London-based collective Gedney Common in response to research by UCL Urban Laboratory (Urban Lab) evidencing a drop of 58% in London's LGBTQ+ venues between 2006 and 2017.Bringing together the work of libraries, archives, community centres and activist groups, alongside pieces by contemporary artists including Louis Blue Newby, Jakob Rowlinson and Nina Wakeford, Gedney Common illuminate the role of London’s queer cityscape in providing a social and cultural lifeline for LGBTQ+ communities.In his book Queer Premises: LGBTQ+ Venues Since the 1980s, Urban Lab’s Co-Director Ben Campkin argues that the term 'queer infrastructure' captures the diversity, dynamism, adaptation and extension of scenes across different periods, generations and geographical locations - a term to which this exhibition responds.This page explores the inspiration behind the exhibition and the UCL research that underpins it, and provides a selection of related resources, links and further reading.Project inspirationIn the mid-2010s, a reported surge in closures of LGBTQ+ venues in London led UCL Urban Laboratory to collaborate with grassroots group Queer Spaces Network and the Greater London Authority to understand what was happening and why.Research published by Professor Ben Campkin and Dr Lo Marshall showed that in the decade to 2017, the number of venues fell by 58%. Since then, the GLA have maintained the data, the number of venues has stabilised, and some new venues have opened. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy and cost of living crises have further exacerbated the challenges Campkin and Marshall noted venues faced, through gentrification dynamics and redevelopment.Urban Lab’s research, and the lively campaigns sparked by threats of closure, contributed to demonstrating these venues’ important part in the history, present and future of LGBTQ+ social movements. In the face of continued inequalities and experiences of isolation for some constituents of these communities, and as a connector across different groups and generations, the maintenance and extension of such resources is more important than ever.Urban Lab researchers worked in close collaboration with LGBTQ+ communities, local government, grassroots organisations and countless individuals to map London’s network of queer venues and investigate the threats they face. The data illustrated the incredible diversity of the capital’s LGBTQ+ venues and highlighted the significant contribution they make to community life, welfare and wellbeing.Building on earlier models of urban and gay enclaves, in his book, Queer Premises: LGBTQ+ Venues in London Since the 1980s (Bloomsbury, 2023), Campkin proposes the model of a dynamic and precarious ‘queer infrastructure’. This encapsulates how venues, which link to and transmit other resources, have recently become more visible in contested urban redevelopment, often linked to transport interchanges.'Blueprints of Hope' uses this thinking as a springboard and explores stories from London’s LGBTQ+ past and present.LinksUCL Urban Lab websiteFeature: Safeguarding London’s LGBTQ+ venuesFeature: London’s nocturnal queer geographiesVideo: The Bartlett International Lectures - Professor Ben CampkinFeature: LGBTQ+ spaces face a new threat from the pandemic – here’s how they can adaptReading listA range of works, publications and media have contributed to 'Blueprints of Hope''s conceptual frameworks. Here are some key texts:BooksPeter Ackroyd, Queer City: Gay London from Romans to the Present Day, 2017Ben Campkin, Queer Premises: LGBTQ+ venues in London since the 1980s, 2023Adam Nathaniel Furman and Joshua Mardell, Queer Spaces: an atlas of LGBTQIA places and stories, 2022Derek Jarman, Dancing Ledge, 1984Alim Kheraj, Queer London: A Guide to the City's LGBTQ+ Past and Present, 2021Jeremy Atherton Lin, Gay Bar: Why We Went Out, 2021José Esteban Muñoz, Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, 2009Richard Scott, Soho, 2018Joelle Taylor, C+nto: & Othered Poems, 2021Nina Wakeford, Our Pink Depot: The Gay Underground FLO-N202-236000000- TRK-MST-00002-SAY- HELLO-WAVE-GOODBYE- KEN-NIE-BPS, 2019Other publications and mediaKaren Fisch transcript, From a Whisper to a Roar, 2020LGBTQ+ Centre research: https://londonlgbtqcentre.org/updates/news-report-london-lgbtq-community-centre/Rebel Dykes Art and Archive Show, Space Station 65, 2021Rebel Dykes documentary, 2021Extract from Ben Walters’ listing application for the Royal Vauxhall Tavern: http://www.run-riot.com/articles/blogs/ben-walters-royal-vauxhall-tavern-becomes-uk%E2%80%99s-first-ever-building-be-listed-because- Associated resourcesLondon LGBTQ+ Community CentreThe London LGBTQ+ Community Centre is a sober, intersectional community centre and café where all LGBTQ+ people are welcome, supported, can build connections and can flourish. Our vision is for a more connected, belonging and thriving LGBTQ+ community in London.https://londonlgbtqcentre.org/the-project/The Outside ProjectThe Outside Project is London's LGBTIQ+ community shelter, centre and domestic abuse refuge.https://lgbtiqoutside.org/The Queer Allyship LexiconAn intersectional LGBTQ+ glossary of termsGlossary by We Create Space, a global community-led platform, consultancy and collective on a mission to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people and other under-represented groups of professionals around the world by connecting our communities and allies with tools, knowledge and a support network for personal growth, leadership development, allyship and self-care.https://www.wecreatespace.co/glossary QueercircleQueercircle is an LGBTQ+-led charity working at the intersection of arts, culture and social action.https://queercircle.org/ UCLOut@UCLOut@UCL is a staff social network and is a way for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer  (LGBTQ+) staff at UCL to get to know each other and take part in social events. The group was set up in July 2009 as some LGBTQ+ staff considered that, in an organisation as big as UCL, it was difficult to get to know people in other departments, especially other LGBTQ+ people.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/equality-diversity-inclusion-committees-and-networks/outuclUCL Trans NetworkThis is an informal network for staff and students for anyone who identifies as trans (including non-binary, genderqueer & all other identities not identical with the gender assigned at birth)https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/equality-diversity-inclusion-committees-and-networks/ucl-trans-network LGBT+ Students NetworkOur network supports students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, intersex, asexual spectrum, aromantic spectrum and/or any other sexual, romantic or gender minority during their time at university. It also helps students interested in LGBT+ issues to meet like-minded people and groups in the university and across London. https://studentsunionucl.org/lgbtAdditional list of resources for support and wellbeing for LGBTQ+ staff and students:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/support-and-wellbeing/resources-and-information/information-and-support-specific-student-groups-5 Exhibition contributors'Blueprints of Hope' features collections from a range of archives and libraries as well as work by contemporary artists.Archives, Collections and LibrariesBishopsgate Institute  Karen Fisch ArchiveRebel Dykes ArchiveLesbians and Gays Support the Migrants (LGSMigrants) UCL Art MuseumWomen’s Anarchist Nuisance Café (WANC)Artists and PhotographersLouis Blue NewbyJakob RowlinsonNina WakefordRobert WorkmanRoss HeadVi Dimi Zbigniew KotkiewiczGraphic Design by PolytechnicGedney Common is an arts collective formed in 2019 by Georgia Cherry, Arthur Carey, Charlotte Flint and Ross Head. This project has been (partially) funded by the LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group (LEIG) Fund. This has allowed Gedney Common to publicly celebrate queer culture at UCL and raise widespread awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.Gedney Common would like to thank: Art on the Underground, Bishopsgate Institute, Sebastian Buser, Ben Campkin, Stefan Dickers, Naoise Dolan, Karen Fisch, Jayne Flowers, Andrea Fredericksen, Gayscene, Derek Jarman, Gerard Jones, Zbigniew Kotkiewicz, the LGBTQ+ Community Centre, the members of Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, Dr Lo Marshall, Louis Blue Newby, Ron Peck, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the Rebel Dykes, Jakob Rowlinson, the teams at UCL Urban Lab, UCL Museums & Cultural Programmes, Del LaGrace Volcano, Nina Wakeford, Lucy Waitt, Robert Workman, and the Women’s Anarchist Nuisance Café. We also want to recognise the importance of transformative queer events and spaces past, present and future.EventsAbove this new tunnel the Market Tavern once stood. Grey concrete outside. Cherry red, dark, sexy, cruisy, inside.Wednesday 31 May 2023, 21:00-21:45, North CloistersJoin us for a live performance by exhibiting artist Nina Wakeford as she excavates and embodies LGBTQ+ history and proposes it as part of the new transport infrastructure of London.Blueprints of Hope: Badge Café HangoutFriday 2 June 2023, 13:00-16:00, UCL Art MuseumA crafty utopian hangout with Ben Walters, putting old books and mags to queer badgemaking use. Free, friendly, easy, fun.Gedney Common Curatorial Surgery (event cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances)Friday 16 June 2023, 14:30-16:30, Object Based Learning LabJoin the makers of the exhibition for this special curatorial surgery. Hear how the collective Gedney Common used academic research as a catalyst, from exhibition concept to realisation, and chat through your own ideas.Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through TimeThursday 10 August, 18:30-19:45, start at Octagon GalleryJoin Dan de la Motte from Queer Tours of London as we shine a light on London’s rich LGBTQ+ history through a creative and life-affirming interactive tour around Bloomsbury. 

IntroductionBody Brain Bingo is an exciting and unusual yearlong project, testing ideas of performance and methods of collaboration. The project brings together researchers, artists and community groups to form cooperative partnerships. At the end of the project, the partnerships will demonstrate what they’ve developed, and we will reflect on methods and ideas of collaboration. The project itself is a collaboration between UCL Culture and ZU-UK (an award winning independent theatre and digital arts company based in East London and Rio de Janeiro).[[{"fid":"3765","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"tiles.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"tiles.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"1638","width":"2912","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]Brain Body Bingo – what’s it all about?Brain Body Bingo is about building relationships, experimenting and performance. The project attempts to disrupt hierarchies and concepts of engagement by experimenting with different methods of performance and collaboration. By creating a cohort of researchers, artists and community groups, we will query what collaboration means, while at the same time testing performance methods as a means of engagement with research.The aims of the project are:To develop processes for engagement between non-academic communities in London, UCL researchers, and performance and theatre practitioners and networksTo establish new creative partnerships between UCL researchers in the School of Life and Medical Sciences, and beyond, UCL Culture, theatre and performance practitioners and London’s diverse communitiesTo develop and expand existing performance and engagement expertise within UCL’s research communityTo contribute to UCL Culture’s ‘Performance=Knowledge’ theme and programmingTo create a framework for engagement and performance collaborations at UCLUnderlying this, the project asks participants questions like “What does collaboration mean to you?”, “What are your positive and negative experiences of collaboration?” and “Is collaboration always worthwhile?”.[[{"fid":"3793","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"postits.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"postits.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"1836","width":"3264","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]Upcoming events and activitiesThe cohort is currently being established and selected collaborations will be awarded small amounts of seed funding to develop further their ideas. This will culminate in further showcases that highlight the progress and learning from the partnerships.[[{"fid":"3813","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"collage.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"collage.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"840","width":"1200","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]House of HealingHouse of Healing was a conference day highlighting some of the collaborations emerging from Body Brain Bingo and creating dialogue about research, art and activism. Researchers and artists worked together over the course of the previous week, culminating in the public House of Healing event on 27th May 2017. The aim of the day-long conference was to showcase the collaborations and explorations that have come out of previous Body Brain Bingo sessions, and the day was packed with talks by guest speakers (including Deborah Pearson of Forest Fringe, artist/researcher Clare Qualmann and ‘Mental Spaghetti’), performances by invited artists (presenting a wide range of activity including walks, games and project prototypes), as well as workshops.[[{"fid":"5403","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"919","width":"1378","class":"media-element file-large"}}]][[{"fid":"5407","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"2070","width":"1380","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]][[{"fid":"5411","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"House of Healing","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"919","width":"1378","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]How to get involvedWe’re interested in your thoughts and any experience you may want to contribute to this exciting, experimental project. For more information on the project and to get involved, get in touch with Tadhg Caffrey (Public Engagement Coordinator SLMS), sign up to the project’s mailing list or join the project’s Facebook group.External linksZU-UK website: http://zu-uk.com/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1211669288953512/?ref=br_rsMailing list: https://my.sendinblue.com/users/subscribe/js_id/2mu8s/id/1Project evaluation report: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/sites/culture/files/brain_body_bingo_evaluation.pdf

Preserving the world's rarest skeletonThe Grant Museum undertook a major project to protect 39 of our rarest and most significant skeletons, some which have been on display in the Museum for 180 years. This includes what can be considered the rarest skeleton in the world: our extinct quagga – an unusual half-striped zebra. It is the only mounted quagga skeleton in the UK, and no more than seven quagga skeletons survive globally. The Bone Idols project involved completely dismantling and chemically cleaning the irreplaceable skeleton, and then remounting it on a new skeleton-friendly frame in a more anatomically correct position. [[{"fid":"3301","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"z206-agouti_skeleton-08.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"z206-agouti_skeleton-08.jpg","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"549","width":"930","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]This project took place from 2014-2015 and achieved all its objectives. You can view a list of Specimens in our Bone Idols project here. Ensuring these specimens can be used for the long termThe purpose of the project was to secure the long-term preservation of the specimens.Bone Idols Project Objectives1) Improve the condition of largely uncollectable specimens through remedial conservation.2) Improve the storage of those specimens by purchasing new cases.3) Improve access to those specimens by ensuring their long term future.4) Engage museum visitors with conservation work in action.5) Create a learning experience for UCL Museums Conservators by working with specialists in skeletal articulation and mount-making/metal work.Protecting uncollectable objectsThe quagga was the major focus for the Bone Idols: Protecting our iconic skeletons project, a major piece of conservation work across the Museum’s displays. Interventions ranged from deep cleaning bones, repairing damaged elements and re-casing specimens through to remounting huge skeletons. Among the 39 skeletons involved we conserved our critically endangered gorilla, Siamese crocodile and Javan rhino, and endangered tiger, chimpanzee, orang-utan and Ganges river dolphin skeletons. These were effectively uncollectable previously. You can see pictures of some of the specimens in our flickr album.For more information contact zoology.museum@ucl.ac.uk

Bricks + Mortals turns the buildings of UCL Bloomsbury Campus into an exhibition, uncovering a history hidden in plain sight. Walk this self-directed route to discover the pivotal role UCL played in establishing the science of eugenics.As at many universities, the buildings on the main campus of UCL, in the heart of London's Bloomsbury district, were named after famous historical figures. In most cases, these building names commemorated the notable contributions of academics at the University.Amongst these are Lecture Theatre 115 (formerly named the Galton Lecture Theatre), the North-West Wing (formerly named the Pearson Building) and the Petrie Museum. The contributions Francis Galton, Karl Pearson and Flinders Petrie made to biometrics, genetics, statistics and archaeology are well known in those fields and beyond. What is less well known is their contribution to developing, establishing and legitimising the science of eugenics. Eugenics – the science of improving human populations through selective breeding – is generally associated with the Nazis, but in fact has its roots in Britain. It had its roots at UCL. The story of these origins is seldom told.Bricks and Mortals sets out to tell that story. By incorporating the characters that UCL buildings were named after and exploring their relationships and research, the exhibition uncovers a history hidden in plain sight. The exhibition and podcast – which takes the form of a walking tour – describe how eugenics developed from its origins in Victorian Britain through to the progressive political movements of the 20th century, and examines the impact of these ideas on our lives in the 21st.Please note, this podcast refers to former building names, which have since changed based on recommendations from the commissioned Inquiry into the History of Eugenics at UCL, published in 2020.In 2018, UCL's previous President & Provost, Professor Michael Arthur, commissioned an inquiry led by Professor Iyiola Solanke of the University of Leeds, to look at UCL’s historical role in, and current teaching and study of the history of eugenics, as well as how UCL’s benefit from any financial instruments linked to the study of eugenics now.The Inquiry's report and its recommendations were published on 28 February 2020 and accepted in principle by the university. UCL has established a working group to consider how the university can respond to the recommendations. On 7 January 2021, UCL issued a formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics, as part of a range of actions to acknowledge and address its historical links with the eugenics movement. The BRICKS + MORTALS PodcastBRICKS + MORTALS uncovers a history hidden in plain sight. UCL Culture Curator Subhadra Das tells the story of the pivotal role UCL played in establishing the science of eugenics and considers how we have chosen to remember it through building names.You can download the full podcast, including directions with will take you around the Bloomsbury campus to look at buildings named after famous eugenicists and sites relating to the history of eugenics at UCL. The walk begins at Warren Street Tube Station and takes in:Ramsay Hall (for Marie Stopes House), Whitfield Street1 - 19 Torrington Place50 Gower StreetThe Darwin Building, formerly 88 Gower StreetThe Petrie Museum, Malet PlaceThe Haldane Room, Wilkins Building Gower StreetThe North-West Wing, formerly the Pearson Building, Gower StreetTranscript[[{"fid":"16769","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"link_text":"Download the Bricks + Mortals full podcast transcript.pdf","type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default"}},"attributes":{"class":"file media-element file-default"}}]] ChaptersAlternatively, you can listen to individual chapters from the podcast:BRICKS + MORTALS: Introduction – The science of eugenics Eugenics – the science of improving human populations by selective breeding – is generally associated with the Nazis, but in fact has its roots in Britain.BRICKS + MORTALS: Marie Stopes, and How Eugenics Was Going to Make the World a Better Place (Warren Street to Ramsay Hall, for Marie Stopes House)Stopes is celebrated as a feminist icon and champion for birth control. Her eugenic motivations, however, are less well known.BRICKS + MORTALS: Francis Galton and the Birth of Eugenics (Ramsay Hall to 1 - 19 Torrington Place)In 1883, Galton coined the term ‘eugenics’, the study of human characteristics passed on through the generations with a view to improving the human species.BRICKS + MORTALS: The Eugenics Records Office at University College (1 - 19 Torrington Place to 50 Gower Street)Galton’s Anthropometric Laboratory was re-established at the Eugenics Records Office at University College in 1904.BRICKS + MORTALS: Revising Charles Darwin, and the Galton Laboratory for National Eugenics at UCL (50 Gower Street to the Darwin Building)Charles Darwin and Francis Galton were cousins, and had more in common than is usually assumed, particularly when it comes to their views on eugenics.BRICKS + MORTALS: Flinders Petrie and the archaeology of ‘race’ (The Darwin Building to the Petrie Museum)Called ‘The Father of Modern Archaeology,’ Petrie worked closely with Karl Pearson and Francis Galton at UCL to establish eugenics as a science.BRICKS + MORTALS: Alice Lee and Cicely D. Fawcett – The Making of a Science (The Petrie Museum to the Haldane Room)Alice Lee and Cicely D. Fawcett were two women ‘computers’ at UCL and both played key roles in establishing eugenics as a scientific discipline.BRICKS + MORTALS: Karl Pearson and Eugenics at UCL (The Haldane Room to the North-West Wing, formerly the Pearson Building)When telling the story of eugenics at UCL, it is safe to say that Karl Pearson – the statistician and first Professor of Eugenics – brought it here.BRICKS + MORTALS: Conclusion – What we choose to rememberMoving forward from the legacy of eugenics at UCL by looking beyond the bricks and mortar. 

Bright Club is the thinking person's comedy night, where UCL researchers become stand up comedians. Run by the UCL Public Engagement Unit, Bright Club aims to bring UCL researchers together with a new audience: 20-50 year olds who have no existing relationship with academia.Our next live performances are on Friday 9 and Thursday 22 February 2018 at Stratford Circus. Book your tickets now!Buy tickets[[{"fid":"7107","view_mode":"super_xl","fields":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Bright Club 2018","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Bright Club 2018","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"664","width":"2893","class":"media-element file-super-xl"}}]]It's a great opportunity for UCL staff to get experience of sharing what they do with a friendly, informal audience. So that they're pitch-perfect on the night, presenters are trained in performance skills by experts in stand-up comedy.Bright Club started in May 2009. Since then we've tackled subjects like London, Time, Light, Metal, Film, Crime and Sea, and we've received financial support from the  Science and Technology Facilities Council and The Wellcome Trust. 

Bright Club is the thinking person's comedy night, where UCL researchers become stand up comedians. Run by the UCL Public Engagement Unit, Bright Club aims to bring UCL researchers together with a new audience: 20-50 year olds who have no existing relationship with academia.Our next live performances are on Friday 9 and Thursday 22 February 2018 at Stratford Circus. Book your tickets now!Buy tickets[[{"fid":"7107","view_mode":"super_xl","fields":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Bright Club 2018","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Bright Club 2018","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"664","width":"2893","class":"media-element file-super-xl"}}]]It's a great opportunity for UCL staff to get experience of sharing what they do with a friendly, informal audience. So that they're pitch-perfect on the night, presenters are trained in performance skills by experts in stand-up comedy.Bright Club started in May 2009. Since then we've tackled subjects like London, Time, Light, Metal, Film, Crime and Sea, and we've received financial support from the  Science and Technology Facilities Council and The Wellcome Trust.Personas are a research tool used to bring together and represent key users or audience groups' needs or experiences. Personas are commonly used in design and marketing. We have created personas is to capture the experience of academics who have taken part in Bright Club. They are not based on an individual, but are a fusion of experiences of those people who have taken part in Bright Club. The important factors to note are:They are fictitious characters, but based on knowledge captured through interviews undertaken those who have been involved in Bright ClubThey have been edited from narratives of actual experiencesThey provide a snapshot of combined experienceThey convey information to explain motives, experience and outcomes from being involved in Bright Club[[{"fid":"6675","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Charlotte Barrow performing at Bright Club ","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"left","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Charlotte Barrow performing at Bright Club ","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"left","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"399","width":"600","class":"media-element file-small"}}]]Bright Club is back!We are hosting two very special Bright Club performances in east London on the 9th and 22nd of February 2018. The themes are  'Year of the Mind' and a celebration of 10 years of the Public Engagement Unit at UCL. Stay tuned for updates - and if you have any questions email bright-club@ucl.ac.uk.