Date Thursday 12 February 2026
Overview
World-building and Empathy Devices: A Two-Day Workshop with Keiken
When: Thursday 12th February 11am - 4:30pm, Friday 13th February 11am - 4:30pm
Start Time: Students arrive from 10:30am, workshop starts at 11am
Open to: All UAL Students
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
This event has limited places, please book a tickets via the link above!
Workshop Schedule
Day 1 - Insight & Upskilling
Focus: Developing insight into creative systems and Keiken's collaborative practice.
Morning (11am - 1pm)
- Introductions: All participants share a short introduction (2–3 mins each) about their practice.
- Talk (2 hours total):
- 1.5 hours - Overview of Keiken's practice and creative process.
- 30 minutes - Open Q&A session.
Lunch Break (1pm - 2pm)
Afternoon (2pm - 4/4:30pm)
- Game Pipeline Intro (30 mins): A behind-the-scenes look at one of Keiken's game development pipelines.
- Interactive Session: Morphogenic Angels game set up and available to play in Keiken's studio.
- 1-to-1 Crits: Individual feedback sessions with participants.
Day 2 - Embodiment & World-Building
Focus: Deepening awareness through sensory connection and transforming embodied experience into new imaginative worlds, as well as practical insights into being a professional artist.
Morning (11am - 1pm)
- Sensory Workshop: A guided session where participants use touch and perception as tools for radical imagination - exploring how sensory experience can expand understanding, empathy, and creative world-building.
- World-Building Exercise: Participants translate their sensory experiences and embodied insights from the morning into collaborative world creation.
Lunch Break (1pm - 2pm)
Afternoon (2pm - 4/4:30pm)
- Practical Insights: What it's like to be a working artist - real-world guidance on navigating a creative career.
About Keiken
Keiken (経験), meaning "experience" in Japanese, is an artist collective pioneering a collaborative approach to creating immersive worlds through embodied storytelling, empathetic technologies, and deep world-building. Their work moves fluidly between games, films, installations, and performance, crafting experiences that prototype speculative futures. Keiken create deeply interconnected experiences that invite audiences to feel, connect, and transform.
Recognition & Achievements:
- Winner of The Lumen Prize (2024)
- Winner of the Chanel Next Prize (2021)
- Artists in Residence at Somerset House, London
Recent solo and group exhibitions include: PHI, Montréal (CA), Manchester International Festival (UK), Le Cube Garges (FR), Zeppelin Museum (DE) (2025), Amos Rex, Helsinki (FL) (2024), 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (JP), KANAL–Centre Pompidou, Brussels (BE), Helsinki Biennial (FL), HAU, Berlin (DE) (2023), CO Berlin (DE); Wellcome Collection, London (UK); ARKO Art Centre, Seoul (KR); Julia Stoschek Collection, Dusseldorf (DE); Onassis, Athens (GR) (2022); Thailand Biennale, Korat (TH); HEK, Basel (CH); 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, Venice (IT); Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo (JP) (2021); FACT, Liverpool (UK); transmediale, Haus der Kulturen der Welt HKW, Berlin (DE) (2020); ICA, London (UK); Jerwood Arts, London (UK) (2019).
Skills You Can Gain From this Opportunity
By taking part in this workshop, we hope you will develop your skills in:
- Cultural and Contextual Awareness
- Communication and Collaboration
- Creative and Conceptual skills
Arts Programme Skills Recognition Framework
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is open to all UAL students interested in:
- Experimental technology and immersive experiences
- Game development and interactive media
- World-building and speculative design
- Understanding professional pathways in contemporary art
- Collaborative and embodied creative practices
Coming on your own? Don't worry, other people will be attending on their own as well; this event is open to all UAL students and can be a great opportunity to make more connections!
Access & Contact
For any questions or if you need any reasonable adjustments to attend and participate in this event, please get in touch via: artsprogramme@su.arts.ac.uk