EXHIBITIONS


︎︎︎


In September 2020, DACRL celebrates over twenty-one years of activity. Here are the exhibitions which emerged between 1999-2019 which showcase the Lab’s design against crime benchmarks.




19 - 23 June 2019
Central Saint Martins, 
London

︎︎︎ Cell Furniture: Designs for Safety, Wellbeing and Sustainability

Funded by HM Prison and Probation Service, the project was exhibited at the Central Saint Martins degree show at King’s Cross. Staged around a purpose built prison cell, graduating 2019 BA (Hons) Product Design students exhibited their DACRC-led cell furniture designs. These new ranges of cell furniture are not only robust and sustainable but, through improved design, have features that can increase wellbeing for prisoners and prison staff. Experimental concepts were put forward that could potentially be manufactured in prison.
Person standing over a table of paper and stationary items with a pair of scissors in one hand and a scrap of orange paper in the other
3 - 7 July 2018

Lethaby Gallery, Central Saint Martins,
London

︎︎︎ MAKE


The Public Collaboration Lab, funded by UAL and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, generated a range of social innovation projects between 2016-18. This collaborative design research led to an exhibition and staged events at the Lethaby Gallery in July 2018, showcasing the values of a collaborative maker culture which focuses on knowledge sharing and cooperation.

This MAKE event successfully tested the concept of a 3rd space learning environment and creative co-working space, through engaging Central Saint Martins, the local community and partners with a week of ‘pop up’ events. This informed the proposal that led to Make @ Story Garden situated behind the British Library in 2019 - as an infrastructure and economic model for an open access space for innovation, learning, enterprise and employability. 

22 September - 31 October 2017
Window Galleries, Central Saint Martins,
London

︎︎︎ Makeright: Making Bags to Make Good


This exhibition showcased a range of anti-theft bags designed by inmates from HMP Thameside, London and Sabarmati Jail, Ahmedabad, India, as part of the 2017 London Design Festival. This research project was led by DACRC in partnership with the National Institute of Design (India), HMP Thameside and Sabarmati Jail. For the first time in the world it taught design thinking and design against crime techniques to prisoners who were involved in trying to solve crime problems, whilst learning new skills. Ultimately, the project aimed to help inmates build resilience for life as returning citizens through engagement with design and making skills that also helped some gain educational qualifications. A related partnership followed with Abel & Cole who supplied lorry tarpaulin so the anti-theft bags and accessories could be produced, and helped the team generate a digital retail sales platform, returning profits to charity.



 



24 November 2016

HMP Thameside,
London

︎︎︎ Makeright: Making Bags to Make Good


The range of anti-theft bags designed by inmates through the Makeright course was launched with an exhibition at Serco’s HMP Thameside, London. This first exhibition showcased the journey of setting up the programme in prison and the design thinking and making that resulted in the range of bags. Inmates who took part in the course were present at the launch and spoke about their experiences to key guests invited to celebrate their efforts and success.
Woman reading a bright yellow poster featuring a large image of a mobile phone
June 2017

Attic Storage & Better Leisure, Market Road,
London

︎︎︎ Market Road Gallery launch


The Market Road Gallery prototypes a new way for dynamic (responsive) spaces that encourage un-commissioned artworks to be produced and displayed in ways that increase their connection with local communities. The vision is to find a way for graffiti and street artists to successfully operate without legal problems.

The launch in June 2017 kick-started this approach as the UK’s first public open-air gallery scheme. It brought together residents local to York Way in King’s Cross, street artists and diverse creative practitioners who had never had the chance to legally make and place work in official public settings. The 65 metre bookable Market Road Gallery wall presented 8 new paintable spaces. 

The event brought these surfaces to life and invited people who attended the launch to:
︎︎︎ view the first exhibited works being completed by experienced street artists such as Boxhead (Spain) and Caio Beltrao (Brazil)
︎︎︎ have a go at painting or making their own marks on the wall
︎︎︎ book one of the 8 spots to display new artwork at the gallery
︎︎︎ give feedback on work, help curate the space and manage how long new works should stay, or when a spot should be made available for new artworks.
Man sat on a street bench with charging station charging mobile phone
Summer 2016
Oslo - Three locations


︎︎︎ eBenk launch


The ‘Security-Building Measures for Urban Living’ project, a collaboration between DACRC, the Institute of Transport Economics in Oslo (TØI), and street furniture manufacturer Norfax, produced the eBenk bench. This design was first exhibited as live prototypes on-street in 3 locations around Oslo in Summer 2016.






Window gallery space showcasing a storyboard of images and text in a light blue colour
Window Galleries, Central Saint Martins, 
London


︎︎︎ Dilemmas of Street Art and Graffiti


An experimental range of storyboards depicting some of the dilemmas faced by authorities, cultural facilitators, property managers and place creators, who variously attempt to push against or embrace instances of graffiti or street art. Developed in collaboration between Marcus Willcocks of DACRC and artist Steve Russell, they were displayed in the Window Galleries at Central Saint Martins.

30 July 2012 and 5 April 2013

Covent Garden Piazza,
London

︎︎︎ Getting Ahead of ATM Crime 1 & 2


A joint event and exhibition to raise awareness of ATM crime, organised by Westminster police in partnership with Westminster City Council and DACRC as part of Covent Garden Crime Prevention Day. An ‘ATM Challenge’ invited members of the public to enter a PIN code into a dummy ATM created by DACRC to see if they could avoid being observed. It shared insights into the sophisticated technology used by criminals to gather personal data. Crime prevention advice and practical tips were delivered by Officers from the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, Metropolitan Police Service.
Exhibition space showing a 3D printer in the foreground and a line drawing of a car on a white display board in the background
12 - 13 December 2012

University of Technology,
Sydney

︎︎︎ 2012 Design + Crime Expo


DACRC co-curated the design exhibition at the 2012 Design + Crime conference at the University of Technology, Sydney. It brought together professionals and academics to explore new ways of preventing crime, increasing safety and making places functional and pro-social, by showcasing design strategies and practical solutions to current, complex and situational crime issues.





Wall showing text that reads The Way You Make Me Feel. Underneath this are eight A1 sized posters with line drawn silhouettes of faces and text within the face
Central Saint Martins,
London


︎︎︎ The Way You Make Me Feel


A showcase of DACRC’s work on empathy at the Design and Emotion: Out of Control conference. The exhibition showcased design responses that help to resolve conflict.  MA Industrial Design students’ responses to a brief set by DACRC to create design objects, systems and services that promote or catalyse empathy linked to participatory models of design were also shown.
Two Macbooks are sat on top of stacked wooden boxes, the Macbooks are showing a still from a video of a woman talking. Two of the boxes have close ups of a mouth, eyes and face on the side of them
14 June 2012

Central Saint Martins,
London

︎︎︎ DESIS Green Camden


The DESIS Green Camden exhibition ran as part of the end of year degree shows at CSM, showcasing final projects of participating BA (Hons) Product Design and MA Applied Imagination students. The project aimed to encourage those delivering community services to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life in the London Borough of Camden.

Central Saint Martins,
London



︎︎︎ Design Against ATM Crime


The Design Against ATM Crime exhibition at CSM showcased the work of design students, artists and design research staff. DACRC and ATM manufacturers NCR worked with the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, Royal Bank of Scotland and LINK on a design brief for BA (Hons) Product Design in which students were invited to design new and cost effective solutions to tackle ATM crime.





Room showing a tall helix shaped light installation and two bikes locked to bike stands on low white plinths
11 January - 26 March 2010
Central Saint Martins,
London

︎︎︎ When Central Met Saint Martins


An exhibition showcasing the range of disciplines at CSM including film production and acting, fashion and textiles, fine art and photography, costume and theatre design, graphic and product design, jewellery and ceramics, architecture and the built environment. The exhibition incorporated designs from DACRC including anti-theft bike and chairs.
Grey bike attached to wall next to poster showing close up of yellow road markings
16 December 2008 - 30 January 2009

New London Architecture,
London

︎︎︎ Putting the Brakes on Bike Theft


This exhibition featured many of the original exhibits shown at the Barbican Centre in October 2008 which were recontextualised and redesigned for audiences at New London Architecture. These included new visual material and video installations of designers discussing their designs. The exhibition was open for 6 weeks and showcased bike parking designs that are easier for cyclists to use but harder for bike thieves. The exhibition was also redesigned for the Innovation Centre Gallery, CSM to coincide with College enterprise events (September 2008 and February 2009).

13 September - 26 November 2008

Silesian Castle of Art and Enterprise,
Cieszyn, Poland

︎︎︎ Design in Public Space


Curated by Katarzyna Jezowska of the Polish Design Centre, this exhibition was aimed at designers, urbanists and municipal bodies who provide and decide upon equipment for public space. The event was focussed on the issue of ‘safety’ and included anti-theft bike, bag and chair examples from DACRC.





Close up of a table with a closed metal hook underneath holding a bag shaped tag with the words Get a grip
Welsh School for Architectural Glass,
Swansea

︎︎︎ Safer Sustainable Cities


An exhibition as part of the Safer Sustainable Cities seminar, hosted by Swansea Metropolitan University in partnership with DACRC and co-organised by former DACRC member Chris Thomas. Held at the Grand Reading Room at the Welsh School of Architectural Glass, the event focussed on the contribution of designing out crime research and design to the development of safer, sustainable cities. It was attended by representatives from local authorities and police and academic bodies from England and Wales.
24 January 2008
Home Office,
London

︎︎︎ Designs Against Crime


DACRC were asked by the Home Office’s Acquisitive Crime Unit, who co-formed the Design Technology Alliance, to create an exhibition for diverse stakeholder groups who the Home Office targeted to design out crime. Exhibits included design against crime products from the Bikeoff project. The leaflet announcing the formation of the Design Technology Alliance was circulated by the Home Office at this installation.

20 - 23 September 2007

Tent London,
Truman Brewery, London

︎︎︎ Socially Responsive Designs Against Crime


Following on from the success of an earlier exhibition that year, design against crime ideas were featured in this exhibition to highlight the socially responsive design agenda to a design audience.




17 July 2007
University College London,
London

︎︎︎ DAC for ECCA


DACRC were invited to showcase the Centre’s work at the ECCA international conference, exploring the contribution that practice-led research has to make to designing out crime. Addressing a crime prevention and criminology audience, Lorraine Gamman, Adam Thorpe and Paul Ekblom also gave conference papers and attendees were invited to review the designs.
People standing around a low table looking at models of buildings with posters showing infographics hanging above
2007

Central Saint Martins,
London

︎︎︎ Holborn Unlocked


A student exhibition of bicycle parking design solutions which focussed on the benefits of an integrated approach to transport and land use planning, in response to TfL’s 2025 Transport Challenges for a Growing City. Holborn Unlocked explored how the policy might be creatively interpreted on the street, in relation to cycling infrastructure. Using design as a narrative to raise debates about cycling, security and public space, DACRC curated this exhibition to call on providers, planners and designers to explore the creative potential for cycling infrastructure to improve users’ experience.
27 February - 1 March 2007
Earls Court,
London

︎︎︎ Cityscape


A DACRC exhibition at Cityscape trade show, one of the UK’s biggest events dedicated to sustainable urban design and public space, led to many enquiries about the Bikeoff bicycle stand designs. The event brings together thousands of visitors, exhibitors and speakers who are interested in sustainability, design, construction and the built environment.





14 February 2007

Cochrane Theatre,
London

︎︎︎ Designs Against Bicycle Theft: Love Your Bike


A DACRC exhibition at Cityscape trade show, one of the UK’s biggest events dedicated to sustainable urban design and public space, led to many enquiries about the Bikeoff bicycle stand designs. The event brings together thousands of visitors, exhibitors and speakers who are interested in sustainability, design, construction and the built environment.
Room with people sat at tables surrounded by large posters displaying text and bicycles hanging at angles from the ceiling above
New London Architecture,
London

︎︎︎ Reinventing the Bike Shed 2


Curated by Adam Thorpe (DACRC), Stephanie Laslett and Jason Cornish (Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects) and Andrea Casalotti (Velorution), this significant exhibition showcased the finalists of the Reinventing the Bike Shed international design competition which sought radical new ideas for bike parking and illustrated some of the key challenges for urban cycling. The competition called for pioneering and beautiful bike storage solutions for urban living, on any scale and for any end use. The winners were announced at the Private View on 31 October 2006. The judges were: Wayne Hemingway (Red or Dead), Jon Snow (Channel 4 news), John Grimshaw (Sustrans), Vicky Richardson (Blueprint), Adam Thorpe (Bikeoff), Jason Cornish (Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects) and Andrea Casalotti (Verolution).
16 - 25 July 2006
The Arches, Tooley Street,
London

︎︎︎ Reinventing the Bike Shed 1


Staged during Architecture Week as part of the London Architectural Biennale in June 2006, before the second Bikeoff externally-funded project started. Curated by Adam Thorpe (DACRC) and Ansel & Associates and delivered with Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects, Sogol Architects and Southwark Cyclists, this exhibition was the first to address cycle theft, cycle security and cycle parking with a focus on the role design can play in reducing cycle theft and increasing cycle use. The exhibition coincided with stakeholder seminars addressing these issues and the launch of an international design competition in collaboration with Blueprint magazine and Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects.





Wall showing large text which reads Safe: Design Takes On Risk, body of smaller text sits underneath
16 October 2005 - 2 January 2006
Museum of Modern Art,
New York, USA

︎︎︎ SAFE: Design Takes on Risk


The first major design exhibition at MoMA since its reopening, SAFE was curated by Paulo Antonelli and featured around 300 objects and prototypes designed to protect the body and mind from stressful and dangerous situations and provide a sense of safety and comfort. DACRC’s Karrysafe bags and Stop Thief chairs featured; these were picked up by the New York press and subsequently purchased for MoMA’s permanent collection.
23 September - 13 November 2005
Main Square,
Copenhagen,Denmark

︎︎︎ INDEX: 2005


DACRC were awarded 2 ‘Top Nominations’ at INDEX: 2005, one of the biggest global design and innovation awards. INDEX was initiated by the Danish Government and the city of Copenhagen. Ninety-six nominated top designs, including DACRC’s Karrysafe and Grippa products, were displayed in the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen.
Man stood at a marquee underneath a banner which reads Cycle for Art
12 June 2005

Trafalgar Square,
London

︎︎︎ Bike Fest 2005


DACRC created an exhibition as part of London’s annual cycle-themed bike festival hosted by Transport for London. The exhibition was a way to educate cyclists on crime prevention best practice for ‘on street cycle parking’ using design.





Woman stood in centre of a room facing a white M shaped ribbon structure. Handbags hang from the structure and text can be seen on one side of the M shape
9 - 14 April 2003

Designers Block,
Salone de Mobile, Milan

︎︎︎ Anti Crime Wave: Secure Design for Safer Travel


DACRC worked with British Designers Adam Thorpe and Joe Hunter from Vexed Generation to produce Europe’s first range of crime-proof bags and fashion accessories. The stylish products, marketed under the brand Karrysafe, were shown at Milan’s Designers Block. The products were developed in response to research led by Lorraine Gamman on bag theft. Designs were specifically focussed on protecting owners from pickpockets and muggers, preventing the four most common street crimes: dipping, lifting, slashing and grabbing. On display were the Karrysafe Screamer and Hoodsack backpacks, the Scroll Top backpack and shoulder bag and PhoneSafe and BodySafe accessories.
 Busy indoor station with a white M shaped 3D structure showing text on all sides
22 - 24 January 2003 and 28 April - 2 May 2003

Victoria and Waterloo Stations,
London

︎︎︎ Anti Crime Wave: Secure Design for Safer Travel


To raise awareness about crime issues, DACRC involved the public to help make a difference through engagement at Victoria and Waterloo mainline stations in London. The Anti Crime Wave, an installation curated by Lorraine Gamman, gave passers-by information regarding crime issues. The public were able to fill in a comment form to let DACRC know what crime issues they felt should be tackled with priority.
Room featuring two plinths holding four rectangular objects on top. On a wall behind sits a large poster showing a female with her hands on her hips wearing a crop top and jeans
2003
London Institute Gallery,
London

︎︎︎ Vexed Not Victimised: Karrysafe Bags & Anti-Theft Accessories Not to Die For

An exhibition of the Karrysafe range of bags and accessories designed to deter thieves whilst not compromising on design.





Adam Thorpe holding bag in front of slideshow
Summer 2002
The Design Council,
London 

︎︎︎ Karrysafe


Karrysafe bags and body accessories were developed by Adam Thorpe and Joe Hunter of Vexed Generation in response to DACRC’s work on bag theft. They aimed to help users adopt a stealth and secure approach to carrying their belongings without looking ugly or criminal. The first range was launched in Summer 2002 at a press reception held by the Design Council and funded by the Home Office.

From 2002-2004, Karrysafe products were available in Selfridges, the Karrysafe shop in London, Fonehouse stores and online via the Karrysafe website, which also featured free personal protection information for visitors.
Room with posters hung in the middle and yellow wayfinding tape on the floor
Summer 2002

Salone de Mobile, Milan
Primavera del Disseny, Barcelona

︎︎︎ Don’t Tempt Me / Don’t Tempt CriME


This inaugural international Design Against Crime exhibition was curated by Gamman et al. and funded by the Design Council, the London Institute, Zeus Studio (Milan, Italy) and Studio O’Flynn (Barcelona, Spain). The main theme of the show was the personal protection of individuals and their homes - and also the protection of customers by corporations through the intelligent use of technology. The exhibition showcased for the first time an extensive range of ingenious products mainly by young British based designers that combined fresh stylish design with simple and effective crime resistant features. The designs proved that anti-crime design can make a difference across a range of design territories, from hi-tech gadgets to wearable tech, from handbags to cafe chairs.
Row of chairs on low plinth, handbags next to chairs legs. Banner above with text that reads Secure Design Doesn't Have To Look Criminal
5 December 2000 - 30 January 2001

Design Museum,
London

︎︎︎ In the Bag and Off the Wall


This exhibition curated by Lorraine Gamman showcased a range of anti-theft design responses. An ‘In the Bag’ CD-ROM was distributed by the Design Council.
 




4 - 7 October 2000
Designers Block,
St. Pancras Chambers,
London

︎︎︎ Stop Thief!

The inaugural Design Against Crime exhibition featured 5 popular restaurant chairs customised by designers Jackie Piper, Marcus Willcocks and Lorraine Gamman to create anti-theft seating. The chairs were adapted in a simple and stylish way to enable users to secure their bags whilst relaxing in busy bars and cafes. The chairs were trialled with major restaurant chains in Covent Garden, London.











Chloe Griffith
Centre Manager
+44 (0) 20 7514 8537

Email : c.griffith@csm.arts.ac.uk

Chryssi Tzanetou
Development Manager
+44 (0) 20 7514 8716

Email : c.tzanetou@arts.ac.uk
Design Against Crime Research Lab,
Central Saint Martins,
1 Granary Square,
London,
N1C 4AA