Next year the Christmas Decorations in your centre may be designed by a
famous architect, designer or writer of the future.
In a groundbreaking 3 year exclusive sponsorship LDJ Design & Display, the
UK’s leading retail decorations company is joining forces with Central Saint
Martins College of Art & Design, the UK’s foremost art and design college to research, design and develop tomorrow’s retail Christmas experience today.
Central Saint Martins - which includes amongst its alumni such famous names as Stella McCartney, Terence Conran, Peter Blake, Alexander McQueen, Lucian Freud,, John Galliano, Pierce Brosnan, Mike Leigh, Gerald Scarfe A A Gill, Hussein Chalayan, Simon Callow and Matthew Williamson - will be working with LDJ on a range of projects over the next 3 years aimed at improving the whole experience and look of Christmas within shopping centres.
LDJ’s managing director, Caroline Gamester, - herself a trained fashion designer who includes a stint working for Donna Karan in New York on her CV – said “ We always aim to stay one step ahead of our competition in bringing our clients new idea’s and what better way to do this than by working with a group of the brightest young creative minds around. Central Saint Martins also have wonderful contacts with a whole range of cutting edge technology companies and research institutes”
The particular course that LDJ have chosen to work with is the MA Creative Practise for Narrative Environments which pioneers collaborative practise among architects, designers, curators, writers and project managers.
But what is a narrative environment? Tricia Austin the course director at Central Saint Martins explains – “ A narrative environment is about unfolding stories into spaces The course is based on the premise that all environments, such as shopping centres, tell stories and that narrative is a fundamental and accessible way for people to make sense of places. Stories are implicit in the materials, structures, text, images, film, signs, sounds, sequences and uses of space.”
Tricia Austin continues – “We’re thrilled at the opportunity LDJ’s sponsorship gives our students to work together with them on real projects for real places.
Our collaboration with LDJ gives us the ideal opportunity to unfold the story of Christmas and its memories of childhood, joy and celebration and the giving of gifts into a shopping centre environment with the aim of increasing the number of visitors to that centre by providing a truly memorable experience”.
The course, which only started 3 years ago, is building an impressive reputation having already worked on commercial projects such as “The Airport of the Future” with Arup, “Arts Space of the Future” with Arts Council England and “The Stairway to Heaven” wayfinding system installed for the Hayward Gallery as well as winning the Royal Philharmonic Music Education Award for the PLAY.orchestra installation at the Southbank Centre.
To sum things up Caroline Gamester said – “I believe this will only be the start of a long term association between LDJ and Central St Martins which I’m sure will generate a host of exciting, creative and innovative ideas for our clients”.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Caroline Gamester at LDJ on 01756 693905 or at
caroline@ldj-display.comOr
Tricia Austin at Central St Martins on 0207 514 7000 or at
p.austin@csm.arts.ac.ukNotes to Editors
LDJ
Founded in 1987 by a brother and sister as the UK’s first professional Christmas display company, LDJ is now the market leader in the design, production and installation of commercial retail decorations, lighting displays and animation with over 100 shopping centre clients across the UK and Ireland. Based in Skipton, LDJ Design & Display Ltd was purchased by Trevor Smallwood (founder of the First Group) in 2002.
Central Saint Martins
Formed in 1989 from the merger of two, much older, colleges: the Central School of Arts & Crafts (founded in 1896) and St Martins School of Art (founded in 1854) Central Saint Martins provides specialist education and research in the fields of fine art, fashion & textiles, film, video and photography, graphics & communication design, three dimensional design, theatre & performance and interdisciplinary art & design. From the iconic designs of London’s red Routemaster buses and the chopper bike to theatrical productions like Phantom of the Opera and exquisite fashion at Dior and Chloe in Paris Central Saint Martins alumni have made a profound impact on our lives. Today the college attracts students from all over the world..
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