As part of UCL200 celebrations, we have appointed Lauren Godfrey as the UCL200 Artist-in-Residence for our student community. Using a playful, pattern-led approach, Lauren’s residency explores the key drivers of the student experience through collaboration, workshops, performance, and research.
In this interview, Lauren shares her creative practice, her connection to UCL, and how you will have the chance to influence the artistic direction behind the final piece. Our Arts Officer, Ben, sat down with Lauren to find out more about her practice and how you can get involved.
A full-circle return to UCL
Lauren studied at the Slade School of Fine Art at UCL, making her return as part of UCL 200 feel especially meaningful.
“I studied at the Slade, so coming back feels like a full-circle moment,” she says. “Since graduating, I’ve worked as a professional artist, as an assistant to other artists, and in various teaching roles within the art world.”
Although Lauren describes herself as a sculptor, her practice spans performance, large-scale installation, drawing, painted surfaces and two-dimensional wall-based work.
“The way I think about materials is sculptural, even if the outcomes aren’t always sculpture,” she explains. “I also run a podcast where I interview people about pattern as a research project. I’m interested in self-publishing, zines, and independent ways of gathering and sharing information. Pattern is really the key that links all of this together.”
Why pattern?
Pattern sits at the heart of Lauren’s work, both visually and conceptually.
Pattern feels universal to me"
“Pattern feels universal to me,” she says. “It started as a personal inclination. I’ve always been drawn to patterned things, especially clothing. I sometimes think that comes from growing up in the 1990s, with very graphic, playful visual cultures like Nickelodeon or Saved by the Bell. I’m also very influenced by 1980s design movements such as the Memphis Group.”
Over time, Lauren realised pattern kept recurring in her work and decided to focus on it more deliberately.
“Pattern allows you to tell personal and global histories at the same time,” she explains. “On my podcast, people choose patterns that are meaningful to them - childhood wallpaper, a garment worn for an important moment, or a textile passed down through generations. Those patterns hold personal memories, but they also speak to global trade routes and wider social histories. They open up really rich conversations.”
Influences and inspirations
Lauren cites artist Bruce McLean as a major influence.
“He taught at the Slade, though not during my time, but I’ve always admired his work and his attitude. He makes large, monumental public sculptures that are also playful and humorous. I’m very interested in play, humour, and flamboyance - when things are a bit overdesigned and knowingly so.
She recalls McLean’s final lecture at the Slade vividly: “He played music and danced out of the lecture theatre. I just thought he was incredibly cool.”
Why return now?
UCL remains an important place for Lauren, not only because of the Slade, but because of the wider student experience.
“UCL is very important to me. I had a really special time at the Slade. It’s an unusually small and close-knit course for London.”
“One of the best things was being able to take a module elsewhere in the university- I studied Nordic cinema,” she says. “It gave me a broader sense of UCL beyond the Slade.”
She is particularly interested in the student community and the role we play here at the Students’ Union.
“That extracurricular space is a place for play and experimentation, where people can try things with less pressure. Often, what you do there becomes more central to your life than what you thought you would be doing. That potential really excites me.”
What does the residency involve?
Lauren is one of three Artists-in-Residence for UCL 200, working between UCL East and Bloomsbury, with a specific focus on the student experience.
“Residencies usually offer time and space for research and exploration,” she says. “Even if I arrive with ideas, it’s important to stay open and let the project evolve in response to being here.
Co-creation and collaboration are central to her approach, with the aim of opening the project up to as many people as possible.
How can students get involved?
There are four main ways students can take part in Lauren’s residency.
First, Lauren will be running a series of open workshops on consecutive Wednesdays from 4-6pm for four weeks, starting on Wednesday 11 February. Each workshop explores pattern in a different way, through drawing, conversation, movement, or performance. Anyone can join, and there’s no pressure to go to every session or stay the whole time.
Second, there will be a collaborative set-painting project for the Bloomsbury Theatre over the summer, using the large paint frame. Lauren is looking for hands to help bring this to life.
Third, Lauren will be conducting one-to-one interviews about pattern with students and others across UCL, contributing to a layered portrait of the university.
Finally, the residency will culminate in a performance showcase at the Bloomsbury Theatre on 2 October. Lauren is keen to involve societies from across UCL, welcoming contributions ranging from music, dance, and drama to talks, debates, sign language, drag, or meditation - anything that responds to the idea of pattern.
A welcoming, low-pressure approach
Lauren is keen to emphasise that her workshops are designed to be accessible, particularly for those who don’t see themselves as artists.
“They’re very low-pressure,” she says. “One workshop involves drawing from patterns that are meaningful to you - clothes, textiles, photos, or materials I bring along. It’s a calm, mindful process that often helps people relax and talk more openly.”
Pattern, she explains, acts as a great equaliser. “You don’t need to be able to draw well. I’ve done this workshop with children, professional artists, and everyone in between.”
Pattern everywhere
Lauren defines pattern as being very broad.
“Pattern can be visual: wood grain, floor tiles, logos...but it’s also behavioural, mathematical, digital, biological,” she says. “Pattern shows up in code, weaving, ecology, data visualisation, and even disease.”
She’s been especially excited by discovering how pattern appears across UCL research, from biology to collections and museums. “It touches almost everything.”
Looking ahead at what the project could reveal
Ultimately, Lauren hopes the project will reflect the diversity of UCL itself.
“UCL is incredibly diverse, and pattern is a great unifier. It appears across cultures, disciplines, and identities, and it doesn’t exclude anyone. It’s a democratic way in, and I hope the project reflects the breadth of voices and experiences here.
Getting involved
For students feeling unsure about taking part, her message is simple: “Trust your gut. If you’re curious, that’s enough. Art can feel intimidating and exclusive, and I’m really interested in breaking that down. You don’t need specialist knowledge or the “right” references. I want to meet people where they are and create a space that feels welcoming and playful.”
“Trust your gut. If you’re curious, that’s enough. "
Lauren will also be popping up in one of the Quad observatories at various points during the residency, offering informal drop-in chats. She encourages people and societies alike to get in touch.
“This project is about play, collaboration, and meeting people where they are.”
What's next?
- Join a workshop with Lauren by signing up here.
- Interested in projects like these and want to make your mark on UCL? Nominations are open in the Leadership Race and you could be our next Arts Officer. Anyone can be a student leader at UCL, so put yourself forward.