We caught up with London College of Fashion, UAL's Archives Manager, Susanna Cordner to get an overview of the aims and ambitions for the LCF Archives new spaces (including a Storage Space and Learning Studio), located on the Ground Floor of LCF's new campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.
Looking ahead to Stratford, Susanna outlined the archive’s ambitions within the new building.
The LCF Archives Store will primarily be a space for storing, cataloging, caring for, and preparing archive objects. To maximise the potential opportunities for students in the space, whether, on group tour visits or completing individual project tasks as part of their course, the space will also involve some opportunities for access and engagement, primarily through giving glimpses into some of the storage to give a sense of what we hold.
The Learning Studio or study space will predominantly be used for access and engagement. It will be adaptable and agile to support different kinds of use and activity; from teaching and workshops to individual research appointments. We also aim for the space to relate to the themes and aims of the archives and engage visitors with its subject and strengths. The archives and their objects will feel like an active and present part of the experience of the space, rather than something that is locked away nearby.
As well as gaining a purpose-built store and learning studio, for the first time, LCF Archives will also have its own integrated display cases. These cases will welcome visitors into our Learning Studio space. They will provide an important part of our service, setting the tone for what our students and audiences can expect from their visit. They will form a part of the narrative of the space and service, reflecting LCF’s key interests; celebrating London’s fashion history and the different processes and production spaces that history holds, as well as LCF’s own trade school past. These cases will be used to rotate temporary displays of the LCF Archives objects, curated by staff and students.