ASPIRE
Arts-Sciences Programme for
Integrated Research Environments
ASPIRE is PEARL's Arts-Sciences Programme for Integrated Research Environments.
It blurs the boundaries of the Arts and Sciences disciplines, enabled by Engineering.
By fusing these two different ways of thinking, we can gain a more holistic understanding of our perception of reality and begin to create a more integrated world.
Artistic approaches are infinite and divergent as Artists constantly seek new ways of looking at the world. Scientific thought looks to the past and traditionally does not like to stray from the linear path of precedence.
Applying the divergent thinking of the Arts to how we approach the Sciences can lead to new insight into the nature of reality as we know it. At the same time, scientific knowledge and technological innovation through engineering can liberate the Arts in unimagined ways.
The anticipated outcome of this fusion is innovation in both disciplines as well as a more integrated approach to research, teaching, practice and engagement.
Whichever discipline you align with, we invite you to join us on this dynamic journey of integration and exchange.
Below are some of our projects since our inception in 2024...
Project leads: Sara Adhitya, Lottie McCarthy, Monika Gravagno
In collaboration with: Tate Institute
Medium: Short Film (15m), Installation, mixed media
Funded by: UCL Trellis, UCL CEGE (in-kind support)
Status: Exhibited 14 March- 14 April 2025, UCL East
Web: link
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Co-creating neurodivergent-friendly environments
Acceptance of Difference (Here?) evolved from a partnership between UCL PEARL and the Tate Institute, a social and creative hub in Silvertown being redeveloped in consultation with the local community. The project aimed to explore how the space could be redesigned to better serve neurodivergent users.
Local artists, creatives, and Tate Institute members used diagnostic questionnaires for neurodivergence to assess the original physical environment of the Tate Institute Great Hall. Was it possible to focus and socialise, or were aspects of the space causing sensory problems? The Great Hall was simulated during a three-day residency at PEARL, allowing participants to experience the original setting and test creative lighting, soundscape and spatial interventions designed to make the space more inclusive.
A short film documents each stage of the project. Physical elements created for the simulation are also on display: a co-created tactile curtain divides the space into zones of high and low stimulation: soft sculptures called WOnkS offer alternative modes of seating; and dynamic lighting of various colours and intensities enhances the mood of the space while catering to light sensitivities. The interventions are a celebration of neurodivergence, collaboration, and creativity.
How do these interventions make you re-evaluate the spaces you occupy? Consider your own sensory experiences and try diagnosing the space using one of our questionnaires.
02
Rethinking Audience-Performer Interactions with Active Reverberation Technologies
This project aims to respond to the recent advancement of active reverberation technologies which is liberating musical performances from their traditional spatial constraints. To explore the new performance opportunities active reverberation might enable, PEARL and the Royal College of Music will be running an experimental R&D workshop on the 18 June concerning the impact of reverberation on audience-performer interactions. This will involve the simulation of different acoustic reverberations during a live musical performance by RCM musicians and observing how the changes in acoustics might impact on the performance and on the interaction between the audience and the performers. The musicians and one volunteer audience member will be fitted with EEG and Fitbits to understand changes in their neurological and physiological responses. Following each performance, all audience members will have the opportunity to share insights of their experience through group discussion. The overall objective is to explore together how active reverberation technologies might inform the future design of performance spaces.
Project leads: Sara Adhitya, Nick Tyler
In collaboration with: Royal College of Music
Funded by: UCL Music Futures, UCL CEGE (in-kind support)
Medium: Live performance, Workshop
Date: Wednesday 18 June, 10am-4pm
Status: in progress
Web: link
Participate: link
Image: Emma Boitiaux
Project leads: Sara Adhitya, Jo Townshend
In collaboration with: CVAN London, ActionSpace
Medium: Art Tech Innovation focus group
Funded by: UCL Art Futures Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Funding, UCL CEGE
Status: in progress
03
Co-developing Art Technologies for more inclusive Visual Art Spaces
A growing number of arts organisations are calling for greater equity and inclusion in art spaces and working environments, particularly for neurodivergent artists and artists with learning disabilities. This project aims to respond to this need for more equitable visual arts environments through the creation of a focused working group led by UCL PEARL, CVAN London and ActionSpace. This group will examine the issues arising within arts spaces and working environments from the point of view of neurodivergent artists, including those with learning disabilities or other complex needs. Through a series of studio and gallery visits with key arts organisations across London, including Autograph, ACME and SPACE Studios, it will explore together with neurodivergent participants how technologies can help improve the accessibility of studio environments and the curation of exhibition spaces. It will also explore how technologies might help artists with learning disabilities, who may potentially be non-verbal, to communicate their artistic endeavours and participate in co-creation processes. Through this collaborative exploration of art tech innovation, this project aims to provide agency to neurodivergent artists and empower this underrepresented artistic community.
04
Inspiring innovation and collaboration in the virtual realm through online gaming
This project rises to the challenges faced by HereEast, an innovation hub based in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: How can the metaverse and virtual environments enable people (general public, service users, current and potential tenants) to experience HereEast without physically being there? How can the possibilities and inspiration that HereEast offers be captured and relayed in the virtual realm?
Our response is to allow participants to discover the businesses and projects in Here East through an online game. This game will be built upon the existing digital twin of Here East in Unreal engine while making it even more interactive and accessible through a gamified challenge. Participants will be challenged to propose new ways of collaboration for the existing tenants of Here East, resulting in innovative products or services. In doing so, they will be encouraged to learn about what Here East has to offer while at the same time identifying opportunities for future innovation as well as potential gaps in the market. The proposed collaborations will be exhibited in a virtual representation of the Here East yard to spark new interdisciplinary conversations and challenge Here East to keep on innovating. Through the creative process of making new connections, global participants will be able to experience the spirit of innovation which makes working at Here East unique.
The overall ambition of this game is to create a global community which is actively engaged in the development of innovative products and services based in Here East. We anticipate that Here East will also grow as it responds to the challenges made by its online community.
Project leads: Sara Adhitya, Lucy Ferguson
In collaboration with: University of Staffordshire; Mediorite
Medium: Online video game, Unreal Engine, Digital Twin
Funded by: UCL Creative Experience Futures Lab, UCL CEGE (in-kind support)
Status: in progress
Web: in progress
Image: Valentina Soana
Project leads: Valentina Soana, Sara Adhitya
In collaboration with: Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL Mechanical Engineering
Medium: Large-scale robotic structure
Funded by: UCL Grand Challenges, UCL CEGE (in-kind support)
Status: in progress
05
Shape-Changing Environments for Health and Wellbeing
This pilot study will explore the potential of large-scale soft robotic elements to create personalised, health-giving environments informed by an individual’s physiological data. Through experiments at PEARL, we will explore how individuals respond to soft robotic spaces created with shape-changing, lightweight building elements. We will analyse the relationship between soft robotic interactions and the physiological responses of neurodiverse individuals. We will then assess the potential of such interactions to enhance human well-being through stress reduction and emotional regulation. The objective is to explore the potential of soft robotic building elements to contribute positively to mental health and well-being. The intention is to empower people to adapt their environments to better suit their needs. In the longterm, we hope such insights will inform the design of more inclusive, adaptive environments for a neurodiverse population.
This project addresses UCL's Grand Challenge of Data Empowered Societies through its use of physiological data to inform personalised, health-giving environmental design.
06
Empathy Machine: an immersive, multisensorial knowledge exchange tool
The Empathy Machine is an R&D project exploring how we can use art and multisensorial simulation technologies to facilitate communication between patients and their healthcare providers. Using PEARL's simulation capabilities, it aims to simulate the lived experience of chronic illness so that they can be shared with health practitioners as well as family, friends and the general public. The aim is to help educate medical practitioners about patient experience and enable a new approach to diagnosis which extends beyond data interpretation and better addresses individual concerns towards a more tailored treatment plan. We hope that raising awareness and empathy surrounding the impact of such symptoms will also help improve the quality of life and inclusion of those suffering from chronic illness in everyday life.
Project leads: Sara Adhitya, Antonia Attwood
In collaboration with: Creative Health Camden
Medium: Immersive multisensorial simulation
Funded by: UCL CEGE (in-kind support)
Status: in progress
07
Get in touch with Future projects!
In collaboration with: Is this you?
Medium: Open to all options
Funded by: Do you have funding?
Status: Please get in touch if you have ideas for future collaboration...
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Contact
Sara Adhitya
Arts-Sciences Programme Director
Senior Research Fellow (Experience Design)
Email: s.adhitya@ucl.ac.uk
