Overview

WTF is Theory?

Date: Tuesday 1st December 2026

Time: 2pm - 4pm

Location: Room TBC, CSM, 1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, N1C 4AA (access details below)

Please book tickets in advance as there are limited places. Tickets will go live soon. 

What if theory wasn't something to be intimidated by, but something we could play with, question, challenge and make our own?

WTF is Theory? is an interactive, hands-on workshop exploring how critical theory can become an accessible, empowering and playful tool for creative practice.

Together, we'll unpack what theory actually is, who gets to produce knowledge, and how our lived experiences, identities and perspectives can shape the way we think and make art.

Through collective discussion, experimental exercises and creative activities, we'll challenge the idea that theory belongs only in academic spaces, exploring instead how it can help us question power, dismantle barriers and imagine new possibilities.

No prior knowledge of theory is needed. Just curiosity, openness and a willingness to think differently.

What you'll gain

• A fresh perspective on critical theory: Demystify academic jargon and learn how to treat complex concepts as playful tools for your own creative practice.
• Empowerment through your lived experience: Discover how your unique identity, personal history, and perspectives can actively shape and produce new knowledge.
• Hands-on creative tools: Experiment with collective discussion and hands-on exercises designed to spark new ways of making art and thinking differently.
• A community of collaborative thinkers: Share space with other creatives to question power dynamics, dismantle traditional barriers, and imagine new possibilities together.

About Roo Dhissou

Roo Dhissou is a multifaceted artist, researcher, publisher, writer, and PhD candidate whose practice spans sculpture, installation, moving image, craft, and community engaged collaboration. Rooted in care, cultural context, and integrity, her work challenges dominant narratives and reflects deeply on disability, lived experience, social, environmental and material justice. Through inner and outer practices, relfective processes, and ethical research, Roo values relationship-building and intution, prioritising process over product to create thoughtful, impactful art. Roo see's justice as a priority in practice and often sees multiple justice frameworks as entangled. 

Most recently, Roo Dhissou was awarded the Serpentine Galleries' Support Structures for Support Structures fellowship in 2024, alongside five other UK-based artists; she was also selected for New Contemporaries 2024; and was commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum to create a new installation for London Design Festival 2025. 

Roo's website: https://rookaurdhissou.com/

Skills You Can Gain From this Opportunity

By coming along to this event, we hope you will develop your skills in:

• Career Readiness
• Communication and Collaboration
• Creative and Conceptual skills
• Cultural and Contextural awareness

Arts Programme Skills Recognition Framework

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Access

This event will take place at:

Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, N1C 4AA

All UAL students are welcome to join. Please just bring your UAL ID to enter the building (alternatively, a temporary pass can be requested from the front desk on arrival).

For public transport suggestions and accessibility info, please visit CSM's 'Find Us' page.

Directions to the room: Room tbc

All entrances to the building are at ground level with step-free access. Lifts and access needs toilets are available on all floors. Full access and route guides to Central Saint Martins are available on AccessAble. A toilet block, including an accessible toilet, is located in the same area on the first floor, and signage is available. If you need any reasonable adjustments to attend and participate in this event, please do get in touch with us via: artsprogramme@su.arts.ac.uk