In 2000 Beckmans relationship with Proventus and its related companies and institutions was formalized. Magasin III, Artek and Kinnasand were among the notable names that participated in educational projects with Beckmans College of Design.

Magasin III. At Beckmans all first year students on all programmes start with a one-week course in colour theory with Anja Palmgren, senior lecturer at Beckmans. American artist James Turrell’s installation “Dawning” at Magasin III from 1994 is part of the course.

During their three years at Beckmans, all the students also visit Magasin III to view the current exhibition guided by Anja Palmgren. The students have free entry and receive special invitations to the museum.

2005 a three year experimental collaboration between the Curating Arts Program at Stockhom University, Magasin III and Beckmans was initiated. This collaboration ended with a common performance/event at Djurgården in Stockholm, curated by all third year students at Beckmans and the Curating Arts students, under the headline “What defines a contemporary spa/watering-place?”

Water Chandelier, designed by the students, constructed of used PET bottles, sold at Stadsmissionens auction at the price of SEK 30 000.

Kinnasand. In 2000, students from Beckmans worked together on a project on the theme of design and fashion and what to do with waste materials. Renown textile artist Sheila Hicks was lecturer, together with textile designer Gunilla Lagerheim, product designer Arik Levy and costume designer Rakefet Levy. Maria Lomholt, at that time artistic director at Art & Technology was project manager from Kinnasand and Anja Palmgren project manager from Beckmans . The challenge was to do something new with waste materials. The students were encouraged to experiment with other materials, e.g. to use steel wire instead of cotton for lace knitting. They started by visiting Kinna and other manufacturers like Kasthall, Kinnasand and Ludvig Svensson.

Students on Site Visit at the factory of Kinnasand.

The results were exhibited at the Kinnasand building, Tullhus 3 on Skeppsbron in Stockholm that same year.

Artek. In 2011 Beckmans students from the Product Design Programme were asked to create a meeting place in the Artek Showroom at Repslagargatan in Stockholm. It was to be a flexible space that could act as place to work, to exhibit and to hold small lectures. The illustrator and designer Laurie Rosenwald led a workshop and guided the students. Wille Kokkonen and Artek CEO Mirko Kullberg where in charge of the project.

The next project with students concerned creating alternative display windows. Bernadette Schillings, who for many years had been head of window dressing for Stockholm department store NK, had a workshop and guided the students. Minttu Pendola gave a lecture and Mirku Kullberg from Artek, Helsinki was project manager. Nine proposals were subsequently exhibited at the Beckmans Gallery. Anja Palmgren headed both projects on behalf of the college.

Students working with display windows.

The Jewish Theatre. In 2006, Pia Forsgren at The Jewish Theatre and Anja Palmgren started a cooperation. The Japanese artist Tabaimo (Ayako Tabata) was invited to lead a workshop in cooperation with Beckmans. Tabaimo created the dance and video production “Furo” with choreographer Ohad Naharin. The workshop gave Beckmans’ students an opportunity to design the theatre’s foyer using videos and light.

In autumn 2008, The Jewish Theatre performed Different Trains by Steve Reich, directed by Pia Forsgren and stage design/costumes by Ann Wåhlström and Mikael T. Zielinski. The students from Beckmans were given the task of turning the foyer into an introduction area that would prepare the audience for the performance that they were about to see.

To differentiate this from the stage design of the main performance, the students were briefed to work in two dimensions with light and colour only, plus the possible addition of light reflecting materials. Lighting designer Hans-Åke Sjöquist acted as their tutor and sounding board.

In spring 2012, another production of the successful Different Trains was performed. The students were this time given the task of furnishing the foyer with light and colour. The brief revolved around words such as: intangible, pulse, rhythm, pale colour, tracks. Based on the experiences of the earlier project, the project was given a more substantial educational content, including lectures by most of the creative people involved. Above all, the aim was to give the students a greater understanding of how to develop a production, of working with the core content and the process that covered stage design, costumes, lighting and sound.

Installation in the foyer of the Jewish Theatre, light and colour, by the students.

Stoppa Gatuvådet. Following a brutal knife murder in central Stockholm in 2007, a young man called Anton Abele took the initiative to found a charity called Stoppa Gatuvåldet that started with a big demonstration in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm. It attracted tremendous support. Tom Hedqvist, principal at Beckmans College of Design, attended and realised the importance of quick action and the students at Beckmans joined in by offering their creative services. The first step was to create a badge to spread the stop street violence message. The project mushroomed. Annika Berner, senior lecturer at Beckmans College of Design, and Anja Palmgren took the initiative to organise another event at Stockholm City Hall in February 2008, this time with a packed programme.

A number of organisations joined forces with Beckmans, with the Stoppa Gatuvåldet charity and Stockholms Stadsteater prominent amongst them. The result was a seven-hour programme of dance with Batsheva in Blå Hallen and Gaga with Ohad Naharin in Gyllene Salen, theatre plus debates on the consequences of violence. A number of art videos were curated by Sandra Weil that incorporated the main debate headline: “How does violence occur and how can we use creative tools to reverse negative trends?” The contribution from Beckmans included videos under the catch-all heading: “Stop Street Violence with Communication”. Students made short films about street violence under the guidance of actor and filmmaker Gorki Glaser Müller, which in turn, led to a more permanent partnership between him and the college on a number of projects, together with Annika Berner.

Yossi Lemel. The Israeli graphic designer Yossi Lemel had produced a series of internationally acclaimed posters with political messages and warnings about protecting freedom of speech. In 2010, Anja Palmgren organised a workshop in partnership with Yossi Lemel for students in Visual Communication. Their assignment was to create their own posters. The starting point for the assignment was: What do you think can start World War III?

Posters in the entrance of Beckmans College of Design.

The results were displayed in the college gallery alongside an exhibition of Lemel’s posters on the same theme, curated by Sandra Weil. The project was repeated by Anja Palmgren in 2012 on the theme Freedom of Speech. At the same time there was a major exhibition of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s work at Magasin III. This time, the workshop opened with a lecture on Ai Weiwei by Tessa Praun from Magasin III. The student posters were displayed in the gallery in parallel with an exhibition of Lemel’s posters on freedom of speech.

In 2015, Beckmans focused on both xenophobia and refugees. The College invited Raoul Wallenberg Award Winner, the Swedish social activist Siahvosh Derakti, to speak on xenophobia, racism and antisemitism. The project was supported by the Weil Family Foundation. Representatives from the large youth centre Fryshuset took part and the plan is to work on a joint project.