Design Unlikely Futures in The ‘jungle’
Abstract
Between 2015 and 2016 working under the collective name Design Unlikely Futures we have been working in Calais in northern France, in the camp referred to as ‘The Jungle’. Through a number of interventions we have developed and deployed experimental, empirical design methods working with the camps residents. Here, we will present a set of work in progress films that have been produced through this process.
Built by its residents and various volunteer groups ‘The Jungle’ became an autonomous space home to up to 10,000 people. Despite this, the camp was not recognised by British or French governments and its inhabitants were offered minimal aid from official channels.
DUF developed and deployed a bespoke tandem bicycle with built in cameras in November 2016 shortly before the camps residents were evicted and its structures destroyed. The bicycle had several aims: to generate new opportunities to understand lived experiences of the camp, to ‘map’ the space (in various ways) and to create a place for resident’s voices while altering the dynamics of researcher and researched by inviting residents to ‘pilot’ the bicycle.
Built by its residents and various volunteer groups ‘The Jungle’ became an autonomous space home to up to 10,000 people. Despite this, the camp was not recognised by British or French governments and its inhabitants were offered minimal aid from official channels.
DUF developed and deployed a bespoke tandem bicycle with built in cameras in November 2016 shortly before the camps residents were evicted and its structures destroyed. The bicycle had several aims: to generate new opportunities to understand lived experiences of the camp, to ‘map’ the space (in various ways) and to create a place for resident’s voices while altering the dynamics of researcher and researched by inviting residents to ‘pilot’ the bicycle.