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TEN series: collaborative research exhibitions 2008-10

Clerkin is a founder member of TEN; a collective of UK based international designers active 2006-10. Invited by 100% Design to create a platform for sustainability in the design industry, they set different parameters annually to drive design innovation, exhibiting the outcomes. The first in 2006 challenged ten designers, sourcing within ten kilometres and with a £10 budget per artefact to create new work.

The designers (Azumi, Bretland, Clerkin, Gschwendtner, Hellum, Jackson, Johnson, Marriott, Tolstrup and Serrano) have taken a variety of approaches to sustainable production, setting out to challenge existing approaches to product through design research. Each draws upon personal interests that combine to form an exhibition rich in design thinking. Affordability, economic use of production processes and design language (high design value at low cost) were key design challenges in an ongoing research, develop-through-practice and production initiative. In total, Clerkin produced 17 original artefacts for TEN between 2006-10.

Pre-REF14, in 2007, Ten Again, showed at 100% Design and Clerkin drew on his experiences of living without adequate mains services. In 2008 wood became the focus: This was followed by a one year Crafts Council touring exhibition - WOOD and Clerkin had three more artefacts in production with TwentyTwentyOne. In 2009 TEN XYZ explored digital production and Clerkin manufactured the dye cut penguin donkey (Metropolitan works). In 2010 TEN - PLAN used ‘open source’ for people to download designs for artefacts shown. This marked a natural end to the collective. Clerkin was selected as a joint winner in the Jerwood Contemporary Makers’ prize, curated by Hans Stofer, Freddie Robbins and Richard Slea in 2010. Support has been awarded by the British Council, the Crafts Council and international companies, for example Fuji. Exhibition awards include Blueprint ‘best stand’ (designed by Clerkin) and 100% Design ‘silver.’