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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Welcome to this bonus episode of Pattern Portraits celebrating 150 Years of LIBERTY with author and historian Kassia St Clair.

Geek out with us about Liberty as Lauren Godfrey chats with Kassia St Clair about 'Liberty' as an adjective, getting lost in summer garden florals and Oscar Wilde’s hot take on the icon that is Liberty.

Kassia St Clair is the UK’s best selling historian under 40, selling hundreds of thousands of books globally, you might know her best for her brilliant book The Secret Lives of Colour in which she profiles the remarkable untold histories of pigments, inks and hues through time or perhaps her sumptuous book, The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History, telling of the depths to which our lives are intertwined with fabric and textiles, a topic I’m particularly passionate about here at Pattern Portraits!

In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Liberty, Kassia has written a stunning new book titled ‘LIBERTY - Design, Pattern, Colour’, presenting the very latest examples of Liberty Design alongside prints, drawings and samples from the company’s outstanding archive, telling an inspiring, century long story of manufacturing quality and design excellence.

In Kassia’s characteristically poetic and lyrical style, she brings to life the stories of well loved and brand new Liberty patterns alike, told through chapters marking the key pillars of Liberty design, the book is a full colour celebration of one of the most unique and remarkable design houses of our time. Launching on 15th May 2025, the book is published by Thames and Hudson and is widely available to buy now!

Kassia has chosen a wonderful cross section of Liberty patterns that feature in the book and span the lifetime of Liberty from the late 19th Century design ‘Hera’, via classic Liberty floral ‘Betsy’ (1933), to two very different designs from the sixties; Althea McNish’s undulating ‘Hula Hula’ and Bernard Nevill’s geometric ‘Corbusier’ and finally bang up to date with illustrator Hattie Stewart’s playful ‘Hattie Park’ from 2022.

You can see all of Kassia’s patterns and more on instagram @patternportraitspodcast

‘Maybe Betsy’ - The PATTERN PORTRAIT print artwork to accompany Kassia’s interview and featuring the patterns we discuss is available to buy now at www.laurengodfrey.co.uk

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Welcome to this BONUS episode of Pattern Portraits on the occasion of Bethan Laura Wood’s solo exhibition at The Design Museum in London!

Step into the wiggle world of designer Bethan Laura Wood as she chats with Lauren Godfrey about hidden versus mirrored repeats, the similarities between kaleidoscopes and iPhones and pattern in three dimensions.

Known for her joyful and maximalist approach to design, Bethan Laura Wood has turned her hand to furniture, lighting, rugs and even handbags. Enhancing all she does with a friendly wiggle, a playful pattern and an immaculate eye for colour.

Bethan has collaborated with many companies including Hermes, Perrier-Jouet champagne and fine porcelain manufacturers, Rosenthal. She has work in collections worldwide including at the V&A and The Design Museum in London.

Bethan has chosen a veritable party of patterns including an Otomi embroidery from Mexico, a quilt from Pakistan, a book matched section of veneer made by Bethan, a vibrant Luntaya Acheik from Myanmar and a metallic zig zag pattern (origin unknown).

You can see all of Bethan’s patterns and more on instagram @patternportraitspodcast

‘The Wiggle World’ - The PATTERN PORTRAIT print artwork to accompany Bethan’s interview and featuring the patterns we discuss is available to buy now at www.laurengodfrey.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.