We’re back at St Bride Foundation on Saturday September 20th 2025. A one day conference about the weird and wonderful world of paper.
Keynote
From Information to Narratives
Jesper Authen, Collections manager at Drawing Matter
The design drawing is commonly viewed as a transmitter of information and instructions in service of a final outcome, with the drawing sheet itself frequently overlooked. But what can the hundreds of preceding sketchbooks and loose sheets—each riddled with speculation, doubt, and failed ideas—teach us about the built environment that the finished works cannot? In this talk, I will speak about Drawing Matter’s approach to acquiring, archiving, and communicating architecture and design drawings, and how it may ultimately lead to better architects and designers.
Talks
Let’s draw together
Eva-Lotta Lamm, visual artist
Eva-Lotta will take paper (and pen) to its simplest form. We’ll do a playful drawing exercise with the goal of surprising ourselves by what we create. And we’ll round it off by creating our own little paper zine that collects our best ideas.
Paper and People: Newspapers as a Tool for Building Community
Kaye Symington, CMO of Newspaper Club
Newspapers, once considered mass media, are now powerful hyperlocal tools for creating emotional, lasting connections. Through the lens of Newspaper Club and projects like Vocal Type, Papier, and Design Declares, we’ll look at how communities, brands, and creatives are using newsprint to foster shared experiences that digital alone can’t replicate. From one-off zines to grassroots storytelling, print becomes a site of exploration, a souvenir of a moment, and a medium that invites people in.
Just Enough Friction:Why Digital Needs the Physical
Adrian Westaway, co-founder of Special Projects
A meandering story of experimental projects that bring digital experiences to life through physical interaction, some of them using paper!
Fragmentary Forms: A New History of Collage
Dr. Freya Gowrley, University of Bristol
She’ll discuss her recently published book on collage, an artistic technique in which paper was essential. The book offers a new, global perspective on one of the world’s oldest and most enduring means of cultural expression, tracing the rich history of collage from its ancient origins to its uses today as a powerful tool for storytelling and explorations of identity.
Making and Thinking with Card
Ben Hughes, industrial designer and academic.
Ben will present a series of tools and templates developed over the last 20 years for the purpose of education and public engagement with design. He will share insights based on these experiences and introduce a recent project to develop learning resources aligned with middle school STEM curricula. The workshop component will give attendees the opportunity to see and try out some of these tools for themselves.
Origami and Orientalism
Marcus Ho, artist and contributor to Big Straw Magazine
Origami is an art form capable of immense complexity and subtlety of expression, yet so many people are unaware of it. In this talk, Marcus will explore the impact of Orientalism on the perception of origami, a critical subject that few (even within the origami community itself) acknowledge. Please note this talk will be delivered remotely.
Tearing Through a Map of Paper
Alastair Somerville, founder of sensory design consultancy Acuity Design
Using his experience of accessible wayfinding and mapmaking, Alastair will talk about the many formats of paper and card artefacts that can be used in workshops. How we can move from the small dreams held within Post It notes and PowerPoint slides to vast landscapes, exciting journeys, fun games and new stories using paper. This is a framing talk about the opportunities offered by choosing to use card as a material foundation for workshops.
During the lunch and break, you’ll be able to try out Thrifty Ink, a DIY, low-cost printmaking project by Henry Cooke using a moveable type system built from laser-cut wooden blocks. You’ll be able to get your fingers inky while typesetting and printing your own postcards.
Sponsors
Papercamp is run on a not for profit basis. Reach out to Alex if you’d like to support the event as a sponsor.