Uncommon Launches Pop-up Residency for London Uni Students to Weaponise the Next Gen of British Creatives

Hot on the heels of the government’s plan to use AI tech to ‘turbocharge’ the economy — which has raised concerns within the creative industry when it comes to intellectual property theft — renowned creative studio Uncommon has today unveiled an industry-leading partnership with a new wave of British creatives through Ravensbourne University, London, which aims to foster the next generation of talent.

The collaboration sees the creation of a four-week residency, running until 10 April, and hosted in Uncommon’s dynamic, creative and energetic studio environment in central London. Students from a range of Ravenbourne’s courses will be invited to explore themes of British culture and create a national conversation through a creative output, during a time when Britain is experiencing rapid technological growth and cultural change.

Participating students will attend engaging workshops, mentoring sessions and talks, and during their final week the mentees will give a final presentation of their ideas to the Uncommon team and their wider industry network. Exceptional work has the potential to be put out into the real world, which will be funded by Uncommon and created by its team alongside the student(s).

The four-week residency will also be captured on film from start to finish — documenting the evolution of ideas and personal journeys of participants as they unpack the theme of British identity — thanks to filmmakers from the university’s Digital Film Production course.

Nils Leonard, co-founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, commented, “Developing and inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers and makers is key to ensuring our industry thrives for years to come. Our pilot residency project with Ravensbourne aims to arm students with the tricks of the trade with a brief to start a new conversation to shape British culture. Ultimately, we’d like to make this an annual initiative that supports more and more young creatives in the future, weaponsing them for success.”

Ensuring knowledge-sharing goes beyond the walls of the studio, key insights and ideas from these events will be broadcast to the world via a weekly podcast.

The project draws inspiration from Atelier Populaire, a highly influential protest art series created by Parisian students in 1968 to revolt against the ‘bourgeois’ state. Their printed posters juxtaposed weaponized language with youthful, playful imagery, and demonstrated how intertwined art and politics can become during periods of social change.