Culture of Care’ used fermentation as a conceptual methodology for thinking about creating sustainably, and embedding climate change within different institutions. This methodology was developed at, and applied to, the Bartlett School of Architecture between 2019-2020.

Jane Rendell defines a critical spatial practice as being a mode of “self-reflective artistic and architectural practice which seeks to question and transform the social conditions of the sites into which they intervene” (Rendell, 2015:336). Fermentation in Cultures of Care, evolved from being used to occupy spaces, and became a way of performing my critical spatial practice- using the language and stages in fermentation as a way of negotiating the space between myself as a critic, and the subject I am exploring (Rendell, 2010). This critical spatial practice and the development of using fermentation as a conceptual methodology was created through the iterations of the workshops, ceramics and continual engagement with theoretical texts.

This project culminated in the ‘Culture of Care’ cookbook/toolkit that documented the first iteration of this methodology being used at the Bartlett. The cookbook/toolkit is a compilation of workshop ideas, reading lists and essays, and has been designed to be used as a resource for others who seek to embed climate change and create spaces to discuss creating sustainably, at different architecture schools.