During - the first of its kind - Inspiring Matter Conference and Exhibition in 2012 the organisers have asked the presenters – including physicist Professor Sir Richard Friend (University of Cambridge), Anna Valtonen (ex Head, Nokia design-research, now Rector, Umea Design Institute), architect Mike Davies (Rogers Stirk Harbour) and anthropologist Professor Susanne Küchler (University College London) – to talk frankly about how they work across disciplines, how they tackle the challenges of collaboration, and how they find and apply inspiration in their work with materials.

Having heard these unique experiences and insights, there was plenty of opportunity for participants to share ideas, experiences and questions both with the speakers and with your peers from the worlds of art, design, the humanities and science. Inspiring Matter was the beginning of a new RCA-based community to facilitate useful and inspiring dialogue across materials-related disciplines.