In response to re-Imagine ESP earlier this year, ESP member Robin Kirkham presented 'Inside the Medal Factory'.

'Inside the Medal Factory' borrowed a development model from outside the art world and looks at how we could use it to inform the structure and aspirations of ESP. Robin takes as a case study the British Cycling Academy's shift from being a non-entity in the world of pro cycling in the late 90s, to becoming one of the most successful development programmes by the end of the 2000s, cleaning up at the Olympic games and taking a British rider to win the biggest competition in bike racing, the Tour de France in 2012, 2013 and 2015. This unprecedented rise to power came from the drive of a small team who looked at the organisation from a different angle. The talk will draw out parallels between the British Cycling Academy and the ESP programme, discussing the trajectories of members' careers, approaches to development and ideas around ambition.