Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Olympic torch designer to return to Leeds Met
The hour-long free public session, entitled 'Design Inside Out: My Practice', will take place on Thursday 28 February from 12.30pm-1.30pm in Lecture Theatre 2 in the Woodhouse Building at City Campus.
Dr Rebekka Kill, Head of the Leeds School of Arts at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "It is an absolute pleasure to welcome former Leeds Met student and internationally-acclaimed designer Edward Barber back to our University to host this lecture. His talent and success continues to inspire thousands of people and his Olympic torch has shaped a significant part of our nation and the world's design, art and sporting history."
Edward's lecture forms part of the Leeds School of Arts's annual critical lecture series, which offers historical, theoretical and critical analyses of the arts, architecture and design.
Edward started his career by studying for a degree in interior design at Leeds Met, graduating in 1989. He met Jay Osgerby, the torch's co-designer, while studying for a Masters degree in Architecture at The Royal College of Art and, in 1996, the duo founded the industrial design practice, BarberOgersby.
The BarberOsgerby Olympic torch design saw off competition from some 1,000 entries to be selected by the London Organising Committee.
The pair initially came up with the idea of perforating the torch to reduce its weight, soon realising that incorporating 8,000 holes would represent the number of runners carrying the torch. Also, as well as making it easier to grip the torch, the three-sided design symbolises the three times Britain has hosted the Games. As well as receiving wide public acclaim, the London Olympic Torch has received one of the creative industry's highest accolades, winning the Design Museum's: Design of the Year award for 2012.
Their most recent project is a £2 coin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground in 2013.
Alongside their eponymous studio, Barber and Osgerby founded the Universal Design Studio, a creative design consultancy working in architecture, interiors and exhibition design. In 2010, the duo followed this with the launch of Map, a multi-disciplinary design studio that provides design intuition, creative direction and research. Together they are responsible for design collections, furniture and one-off works for both private and public commissions, including designing the Science Museum's biggest-ever gallery.
A Professor of Design, Edward has lectured internationally and hosted workshops. His work is held in permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum and the Design Museum in London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.