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IGNITE + COLLABORATE the digital panel

29-05-2025 By Frankie Sinclair

Exploring the power of collaboration from digital, creative and business perspectives, the latest in the IGNITE event series, was held at The Guildhall in Salisbury on 4th April.

At IGNITE + COLLABORATE, there were four focus areas, each explored by an expert panel of presenters:

Collaborate Digital
Collaborate Creative
Collaborate Enterprise
Collaborate Community

This post offers a quick survey of highlights from the first panel of speakers.

Collaborate Digital

Rich Lloyd – Blueflame Digital
Jon Reece – Conficio Design
Lewis Plummer – Mostly Harmless
Eddie Deighton – Creative Director, An.X Agency

Rich Lloyd Highlight

“ Day to day, it’s just instant messaging… And then when you need to… you jump on a video call.

I think to be able to communicate like that and collaborate like that, you need trust, and respect of all your team members.

I think ultimately it doesn’t matter whether you’re digital or not digital you’ve got to trust your team.”

Jon Reece – Conficio Design

Jon has worked on some really exciting collaborative projects and this one sounded very intriguing:

“ Gravity Industries came to us a long time ago and said, we’ve got five jet suits, five jet engines. We want to make a jet suit.”

His key summing up point:

“Collaboration is nothing without an idea, it’s nothing without trust. The digital bit is just a bolt on, which is how the world works these days.”

Lewis Plummer – Mostly Harmless

Lewis illustrated 3 salient points, with numbers and graphics:

1+1=3

Collaboration with another person is always worth it because it adds a third dimension to the generation of ideas.

50/50

Be open and treat your collaborators as equals with a sharing interest.

Finally Lewis emphasised the phrase ‘Democratic Autocracy’: meaning, someone must ultimately commit to making a decision for a creative digital project to move forward.

Eddie Deighton – Creative Director, An.X Agency

Eddie captured everyone’s attention with his story of how he overcame obstacles and won the trust of World reknowned singer, Sinéad O’Connor, to design her album cover.

Book for our next quarterly IGNITE event led by Scrace Architects, and join a dynamic mix of decision makers and local business leaders, creative professionals and architects, to share ideas and network.

Or sign up below and select ‘Art’ as your interest.

IGNITE 2035

13-06-2023 By Frankie Sinclair

Our latest IGNITE workshop prompted a buzz of interest in the future, challenging freelancers and creatives to envision the dizzying changes our ways of life might undergo in the next twelve years. The responses of eight talented speakers ranged from discussions about AI generated solutions to a dazzling makeover of the image of our city. Thank you to everyone who contributed to IGNITE – 2035. Sign up to be kept posted on latest exhibitions, workshops and news at bottom of this post.

WORK George Scott-Welsh – IncuHive
ARCHITECTURE Tim Scrace – Scrace Architects
CULTURE Mat Freer – The Culture Experiment
DRAMA Nina Westbury – Nina Westbury Makeup Ltd
EDUCATION Edward Scott – Contemporary Artist
INNOVATION Jon Reece – Conficio Product Design
ENVIRONMENT Chris Bottle – Indigo Landscape Architects
ART David Christie – The Vanner Gallery

Special Guest – Eva McHugh – Salisbury Transition City

Keep an eye out for our next workshop scheduled for this autumn… IGNITE DISRUPT.

TALKS

GEORGE SCOTT-WELSH – IncuHive

In his talk exploring future styles of work, George emphasised the benefits of flexible working for employees and employers. He had an array of facts and stats throughout the speech to backup his vision. The twist in the plot line was his reveal in the final moments, in that he had utilised AI to write his script. This invited a flurry of questions as we pondered the impact of AI. We wondered what this moment in history will look like from 2035?

Find out more about George here https://incuhive.co.uk/
Follow @the_incuhive_space

TIM SCRACE – Scrace Architects

As well as hosting, Tim offered a presentation which included an invitation to choose and draw your favourite city. There were some lovely, impromptu sketches drawn from memory and some unselfconscious doodles! Allowing all to explore what inspired us. Considering what elements combine to make a true city, Tim contributed some futuristic, architectural anticipations of Salisbury circa 2035, including a 3D fly-through of a sunken city with skyscrapers and skydecks. Before ultimately concluding that …

“Architecture is nothing with community and a city is nothing without its people.”

Find out more about Tim here ABOUT
Follow @timscrace @scrace_architects

MAT FREER – The Culture Experiment

Armed with small bars of confectionery, coloured markers and bazooka-level energy, Mat unsettled the whole room in the best possible way – he began by literally asking everyone to move seats. His approach to fostering change is to dynamically show (not tell). It’s effective! People were soon energised and actively engaged in creating their own personal culture of creativity.

“It’s about building cultures of creativity, innovation, collaboration.”

Find out more about Mat here https://thecultureexperiment.com/
Follow @cultureexperiment

NINA WESTBURY – Nina Westbury Makeup Ltd

Nina didn’t pull her punches with her expose of the face of Salisbury present. But she truly wowed us with her novel ideas for Salisbury 2035. Drawing on her 25 years’ experience as a make-up artist in TV, Film and luxury retail, she transformed dull facades into glamourous icons for the city. Innocently boring bunting was replaced with a carnival of school child designed banners and skulking bins were customised with glitterball mirror vinyl.

“Let’s disco into 2035!”

Find out more about Nina here https://www.ninawestbury.com/
Follow @ninawestbury_makeup

EDWARD SCOTT – Contemporary Artist

Dressed in practical dungarees, artist Ed may have flowed directly from the studio, into the Ignite sphere. He brought us all a chance to tap into the flow of our subconscious creative minds with his ‘don’t think’ mantra and tips and techniques to bypass the logical mind.

“Don’t think.”

Find out more about Ed here https://edward-scott.co.uk/
Follow @edwardscottartist

JON REECE – Conficio Product Design

Jon turned our attention to sustainability and explored how this could be achieved for Salisbury in 2035, using the will of the community, combined with technology and innovation. Using local produce, crop rotation, reuse before recycling, shared transport, reduced insecticide, waste management systems. Jon gave us hope and vision for how technology could help us.

“Invest – massively – in green technologies.”

Find out more about Jon here https://conficio.design/
Follow @conficio_design

CHRIS BOTTLE – Indigo Landscape Architects

in conversation with Eva McHugh – Salisbury Transition City

Chris gave us a landscape architect’s view of Salisbury from above. We could see treeless grey concrete areas contrast starkly with tree lined gardens and woodlands. Having been tasked by Tim to plant 1,000 trees Chris shared expert knowledge on success criteria for tree growth in our future and present City. In conclusion…

“We must plant more and well!”

Find out more about Indigo Landscape Architects here https://indigolandscape.co.uk/
Find out more about Salisbury Transition City here https://www.transitionsalisbury.org/
Follow @indigolandscape.co.uk @salisburytransitioncity

DAVID CHRISTIE – The Vanner Gallery

David is inspired and motivated to create an egalitarian art gallery with no barriers to entry. He aims to achieve this goal well before 2035 and has already made great progress. He recently had a squeal of school children filling the gallery and busily exploring every inch of the contemporary art work on display. He didn’t mind in the least, touching up the walls afterwards with some gallery white paint.

“Am I allowed to come in here? Yes!”

Find out more about The Vanner Gallery here https://www.vannergallery.com/
Follow @thevannergallery

HIGHLIGHTS

SALISBURY 2035

SCRACE ARCHITECTS are looking forward to an exciting 2023 with new workshops, exhibitions and events.

Please email to sign up and stay informed on the latest.

Call SCRACE ARCHITECTS on 01722 658048 or email info@scracearchitects.co.uk for more details.

INTERVENTION

05-09-2022 By Tim Scrace

10th/11th & 17th/18th September 11am-3pm

An exhibition by Tim Scrace ft. Judith Rodgers
Salisbury Art Trail 2022 Venue 12

Combining mixed media, VR & sculpture, events and artworks, INTERVENTION explores the contrast of action and inaction within our urban fabric. Intervention is a fully immersive experience that will enable you to see all too familiar streets, roads and landmarks from a completely different perspective.

INTERVENTION showcases a sculpture of transparent plates, mapping the lines of the city, introduces a series of physical layers whilst meandered charcoal drawings and watercolours set your mind free from the rigor of history and the built environment. The foundations of this yet to be explored virtual world are also presented in conceptual sketches and prints.

INTERVENTION is being held at Scrace Architects offices at The Enterprise Network, The Old Fire Station, 2-4 Salt Lane, Salisbury SP1 1DU. Directions are available on the contact page. For more information please contact us on 01722 658048 or using form here.

INTERVENTION VR takes you on an orange pathway to a landscaped skydeck where you walk amongst trees above moving cars, across rivers and between skyscrapers. In this re-imagined version of a #peoplefriendlysalisbury a balloon station, an aqua-theatre, art galleries materialise as new structures and Stonehenge is relocated to a roundabout. Accessible either on your own mobile phone or on a state-of-the-art VR headset, Scrace Architects invite you to explore this vision of a future city and start your own re-imaginings.

The juxtaposition of environment, space and time within the realms of sublime 3D architecture provides a unique investigation of the city’s potential. This project, part of the Salisbury Art Trail 2022, is the result of five years of development by artist Tim Scrace and his practice. Tim, who has applied and developed this concept through the Design Visualisation course he lectures on at Solent University is excited about the possibilities of virtual and real space and the conversations and visionary context they hold.

“Over the past few years’ students have engaged directly with the artwork, enabling them to evolve their own projects and learn from integrating them in the urban realm. I have been lucky to witness how this has added to and expanded the dialogue of an emerging virtual landscape.”

Judith Rodgers who is working in collaboration with the team on the exhibition responds with alternate perspectives of the local geography adding a sensory and landscape orientated layer to this exciting journey of possibilities.

Scrace Architects hope that INTERVENTION will offer the hope needed to encourage the city and its inhabitants to aspire to a bigger better yet more sustainable way of life. Bring your phones and be prepared to #seespacedifferently.

The Power of Dominoes

20-06-2022 By Tim Scrace

Recognising #Fridaysforfuture and a need to acknowledge climate change and the world around us the practice and friendly collaborators took some time out recently to see what might be required to accomplish more meaningful change. Fresh from the IGNITE Climate & Cocktails event my head is still spinning with realistic optimism. Here are some ideas to get us started:

One Domino …

First up we heard from Martha (11) who, inspired by Greta, in turn encouraged Elon Musk to “concentrate on sorting out our planet before starting on another??” Be sure to listen out for Martha’s contribution in an upcoming Architecture Made Simple episode. Sophia then spoke about small changes we can all make in our homes and in our lifestyles which together contribute to bigger actual shifts.

Two Dominoes …

One of the key benefits of the IGNITE workshops is that we take the time stand back strategically from the business of our day-to-day lives and refocus. Eva offered us the opportunity to join her and other stakeholders to join the Eco Hub, which serves to …

In this instance our presentations were interspersed with related activities and kinetic games. Rich Lloyd observed the potential we have as an individual’s (dominoes) to effect change. The group creation of a marble run (our own Rube Goldberg machine) encouraged us to recognise that, as a collective, all heading generally in the right direction, we might all eventually reach a connected and purposeful destination.

Three Dominoes …

Activities and discussions helped support the belief that in each of us making a positive change (no matter how seemingly futile) might lead to a positive outcome. Indeed, the biggest lesson of the day was in identifying the potential of geometric growth. The theory and assertion that in each of domino there is the potential to knock over a bigger domino, offered the hope that our little voice might someday become more powerful.

In connecting people and ideas we have the power to realise the unrealistic. If we, as individuals, are being asked to change our lives dramatically, the least, we can expect is that larger companies, who often pretend to make good on their legacy, are held accountable for their actions as well as their inaction.

Time for a New Game

Whilst there is a clear positive impact from an individual response to meet our own net zero and balance our carbon footprint, Tim observed that it should not rest on us alone. It is in the commercial power of companies where significant mitigation lies. Rather than the individual we should be focusing our attention on the bigger players. In reality, with just 90 companies responsible for 66% of historic carbon emissions (Heede 2016), we should be targeting their responsibility and wealth as a means of combatting the damage they have caused.

Playing Big

The question now is how to get to the policy and decision makers at the top to effect a change in ethos. Perhaps the answers lie in dominoes? Let us start by approaching and educating the closest domino to you on the effect they are having. In time we will reach the shareholders and investors who can then lobby these companies to balance things up and encourage them as bigger dominoes to make the right choices.

Asked to add some positivity to proceedings Armin Ganguly assumed a realistic perspective. The question as to how to save the planet is not a fair assessment of the things “we should focus on has to save half the planet’’. There is still time, we should see what we can do! As the great man says, #alwayslookup!

If you know someone who has power and influence then they are your next step to make that change. Begin with the closest and biggest domino you can find. Knock them over with the facts and offer them ideas about how they can help us all save what is left!

Make sure you don’t miss the next IGNITE event scheduled for Friday 16th September.

Recalibration

16-08-2019 By Tim Scrace

As a profession, architects are obsessed with detail and engineering. More recently they have turned their attention to business, and building information modelling systems. Whilst rigorous quality-control-driven systems of manufacture are finally having a positive effect on the profitability of architectural businesses, they seem to be having a negative effect on the profundity of our buildings. What price do you place on a building’s soul?

Gripped by templates and performance, it feels like architecture itself is on the cusp of losing its soul. Once again, and somewhat regrettably, we have realised a utopian vision where buildings, detail and finishes matter more than people. People change people’s lives, not buildings.

In an industry where sustainability remains an excuse to charge clients more for solar panels or insulation, the products of practice and industry are detached from living. Homes and extensions are ‘show homes’ and lack character; commercial buildings are functional without form.

It’s time architects and their counterparts recognise that they have got things wrong, and take time to adjust their approach. We are not alone in taking accountability of this systemic situation but will need to lead if we are to affect an industry-wide change. A recalibration of practice and delivery is in order.

The design and construction process should put greater emphasis on creative thinking. Whether this is through abstraction of the brief, choice of sustainable materials, development of concept, or procurement method, the path to good architecture should not be so narrowly defined.

A natural compulsion to get the detail right is incumbent on any architect, but the process by which this is achieved varies enormously. Those interested in making great space appear to be returning to their roots for inspiration, to Arts and Crafts, to the Bauhaus. Throughout history, architects have been recognised for lateral thinking.

The assimilation of ideas over time, without destination, may offer a more fruitful approach to design, and therefore product. Whilst working with a diverse and skilled building team to craft a solution might help caress the souls of our homes, for me, expanding the profession’s remit beyond the built form – to community engagement, art and place-making – offers the most interesting and game-changing opportunities.

With even greater global access to knowledge and materials, architects should be able to make dramatic changes. The real question is: will the profession take enough time to reflect and act upon the strategic and creative changes necessary to generate this shift?

Painting gives me time to stand back. Without restrictions, what would you do differently?

Comment – RECALIBRATION