Lauren Nicoll Curator

For Interactive Weaves I worked with curator Lauren Nicoll who designed, planned and displayed the final artworks, photographs, film and weaves for the exhibition in the Historic Round Tower and Portsmouth Cathedral.

Read all about her journey into curating and her experience of the Interactive Weaves Project.

Incredible photographs by Alex Fountain

Curator Lauren Nicoll weaving fabric for the textile weave event

What was your journey into curating and what did you study?

I always knew I wanted to work in the cultural sector, but never fully realised the extent of jobs that were within it until I went to university. I studied my undergraduate degree in Art History and was then inspired to pursue my MA in Art History and Museum Curating.

I immediately learnt that curating as a profession is not easy to achieve. Since graduating, I have taken jobs working as front of house in museums, working commercial events on historic ships and booking learning and education groups into museum and gallery workshops. 

To gain more experience within the industry I applied for an apprenticeship with Portsmouth City Council, based at Hotwalls Studios, developing their public events programme. I was extremely lucky to have gotten this role and had the opportunity to really tailor it to my own career ambitions. 

Within the role I curated and coordinated a series of different exhibitions showcasing the artwork of the Studio artists. I loved this part of the job and am still grateful today for the opportunity and experience. 

When I moved on from this role I was determined to break into the creative sector in London. Once again, I quickly discovered that this was competitive. As it happens, my journey has now led me into Museum fundraising, working closely with teams across the museum to write compelling applications to Trusts and Foundations, securing funding that enables the museum to thrive for its visitors.

When Alice invited me to return to the Hotwalls as Project Exhibition Curator for Interactive Weaves I leapt at the chance. It has been a fantastic opportunity to continue developing my curatorial skills and striving towards my professional development in what is a tricky industry to navigate at times!

What excites you most about the Interactive Weaves Project?

Without a doubt the weaving of different communities together. It has proven to be such a wonderful project in opening conversations amongst strangers, sharing skills, and making friends (along with artwork!). 

By taking the tepee to Victorious Festival, Alice was able to engage audiences who might not ordinarily choose to take part in a creative workshop. Interactive Weaves has proven that anyone can be creative, and I think it has played a key part in supporting communities and their well-being as we have all navigated a difficult past two-years. 

How do you feel about sustainability?

I think it is incredible when you look back at the last 100 years and how our world has changed. The rise of the industrial revolution, the development of technology, if we look at how our day to day lives function now in comparison to just 10 years ago- it is a huge change.

With this change in lifestyle comes change in mindset too. At first, we thought it was amazing, and I suppose- why not? We had tools to live our lives in ways that couldn’t even be imagined before. But then comes the realisation of the detrimental impact this way of living is having on our planet. 

I have been lucky enough to be involved in some exciting environmental projects through my work- including the launch of COP26 at the Science Museum. It is a pleasure to see how people’s mindsets are changing and I think it is key to keep the conversation positive when thinking about the changes we as individuals can put into place. 

By doing small things we can all contribute to making a difference. Whether that be eating less meat and dairy, changing to eco-friendly cleaning products or composting waste at home. There is always more we can do, but by recognising our small triumphs we can strive to build upon this- getting better and better at living more sustainable lives. 

I am over the moon to have curated an exhibition which thinks about sustainability in the context of curating. So often sustainability is the subject of the exhibition display- but how often do we think about the logistics behind the display and their impact on the environment? I hope that Interactive Weaves: An Exhibition can be a prime example that encourages others to adopt this same approach to curating. 

 What do you love most about curating?

I love the creativity and the responsibility that comes with it. Whilst I wish I were more creative in the traditional sense of producing beautiful artwork, I like to believe that I am a creative in my own way, through my love and ability to curate. 

Curating is the opportunity to showcase somebody else’s artwork and ideas, in a way that is going to best present there meaning to public audiences. It is the bridge between the artist and the public, ensuring that you are doing justice to the artist’s intentions behind their work, whilst explaining it in an accessible and engaging way to the public. 

Interactive Weaves, An Exhibition in the Historic Round Tower

What have been your favourite exhibitions?

Oooh that is a really big question! I think If I were to write a list it would be as long as the page so I will try to be selective and just choose a couple…

The Victoria and Albert Museum do put on a good exhibition, and I was particularly blown away by Opera Power and Politics that took place in 2018. What really impressed me was its use of audio throughout. Visitors were given headsets which played opera music that related to the period of the exhibition that they were stood within. The music would then automatically change to reflect different sections as visitors moved through the space. I think this exploration of the senses to experience an exhibition is  a clever tool that definitely increases a visitors ability to immerse themselves in a topic. I know the V&A have continued to use this tool with other exhibitions and I hope it is something we begin to encounter more and more.

Another one of my top exhibitions is one I accidently stumbled across in a small town in Italy called Staggia. My friends and I had gone to the town’s castle to pass some time on a sunny afternoon only to discover it was closed. A man appeared within the gates, sweeping up leaves and invited us in for a private tour. It all seemed a bit mysterious, but we decided to go ahead with the adventure. 

What we discovered inside of the tower I could never have predicted. The building was small and tall and each floor was dedicated to a unique contemporary art installation that inhabited the entire space. Our tour guide explained that to win the artist residency, the artist is invited to be interviewed by the building itself. ‘If they don’t have a rapport with the building, how can they produce something meaningful inside’. 

I must admit that my Italian isn’t wonderful, and I am sure there was content I was missed from written labels and the broken communication with our kind tour guide. I do however think that this added to my overall experience of this unique and unexpected exhibition. Sometimes the less we know, the more of our own imagination we can bring. This exhibition will always stay with me, and I have yet to experience anything like it again. 

Get in touch - Laurennicollcurates@gmail.com

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