In this special bonus episode of Pattern Portraits, Lauren Godfrey takes us behind the scenes whilst working at UCL as Artist in Residence for the Student Community, in Partnership with Students' Union UCL.
Lauren ran drawing workshops with UCL students drawing from patterns relating to their research areas and personal histories and then recorded their reflections on pattern as it relates to the courses they are studying from neuroscience to anthropology and biochemical engineering.
These drawings were developed into a series of huge backdrops for the Bloomsbury Theatre stage at UCL.
Painted on one of only a handful of traditional scenic paint frames in London, the project celebrates and revitalises the art of scenic painting for a new generation.
On 2nd October 2026, Lauren Godfrey invites you to experience the magic of the stage as you explore the spectacular hand-painted patterned backdrops created in collaboration with UCL students. With a special event at 6pm bringing the work to life with student performances and conversations in Pattern Portraits Live - get your ticket here!
https://www.bloomsburytheatre.com/event/2026/10/pattern-portrait-ucl
Enjoy this special episode with the students telling the fascinating stories behind their patterns and head to https://www.laurengodfrey.co.uk/ucl200/ to see images from the project and a transcript of the podcast episode.
Speakers: Austin, Ruqaiya, Criss, Selma, Hyden, Mahamed, Naoko, Melissa, Matteo, Vish, Maria, Lexi, Abira, Alina, Jazzy, Zimeng, Ian, Abhishek, Anan
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