Author: Matthew Needham

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Race: Reflecting on the Shades of Noir (SoN) Website & Resources

https://shadesofnoir.org.uk

After delving deeper into Shades of Noir’s resources through this Inclusive Practices Unit, I’ve discovered the wealth of information they offer academics and professionals to decolonise and educate their institutions. This educational resource has been beneficial for me to refer to throughout this unit, which I will continue to do in future.

The diversity questions on the Shades of Noir website are excellent. They are valuable tools not just for teaching practice but also for staff meetings and fostering open dialogues. Recognising the importance of such discussions in both academic and professional settings is essential.

I’m particularly impressed by the accessibility of their downloadable documents and their accessibility menu. Having been recently diagnosed with dyslexia, I’ve become acquainted with various methodologies that facilitate my interaction with content. Sadly, many institutions and organisations overlook such inclusive designs, defaulting to the traditional white background with black text, much like the UAL branding. However, Shades of Noir offers an experience that permits more efficient interaction with its invaluable content, making it an excellent feature for student accessibility.

The testimonials from students collaborating with Shades of Noir are profoundly moving. Listening to and reading their stories underscores the importance of the platform, which I will strongly recommend to all my students within my revised artefact submitted for this unit. I will also encourage my students to explore the site and get involved with SoN’s campaigns and volunteering efforts if they are able to do so.

Although I consider myself a BAME ally, I’ve never articulated my personal experiences surrounding race, unlike some white alums featured in the testimonials. There’s an intricate balance between voicing my experiences and understanding when to step back to let other voices be at the forefront, especially in conversations about race. This balance is something I grapple with continually. Many individuals closest to me, including friends, collaborators, and my partner, are PoC. Yet, I am continuously reflecting on and trying to understand my own experiences and feelings related to race.

Bibliography

Schlosser, M, (2017). ‘My Shades Experience – Mica Schlosser’ Shades of Noir. [online] Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/graduate-case-studies/my-shades-experience-mica-schlosser/ [Accessed 27th July 2023]

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Race: Reflecting on “Witness Unconscious Bias” Video with Josephine Kwahli

In the UCU “Whiteness Unconscious Bias” video, Josephine Kwahli describes her experiences and definition of “unconscious” bias. She questions how the persistent racism and biases experienced, despite countless anti-racist measures implemented by educational institutions, could hardly be termed ‘unconscious’. It is a compelling reminder of the challenges felt by marginalised individuals, particularly in identifying and combatting unconscious bias within academia.

While my experiences as a gay individual have undoubtedly shaped my understanding of prejudice and exclusion, I will never fully understand how Kwahli’s account feels first-hand. Khwali’s recalled accounts of racism, aged four, force me to reflect on the early moments of realisation in my own life about my sexual orientation and the segregation I felt throughout my childhood because of a trait I had no control over. Though different in context, these systemic biases towards any individual, other than the heteronormative cis white individual, are still present in our workplaces and every day.

Recognising Kwahli’s dual identification as both Black and a woman offers a deeper understanding of her intersectionality. Her perspective is a critical reminder of the continuous journey of compassion and learning that we must undertake to make all spaces genuinely inclusive. Kwahli’s critique of institutions rings particularly true here. If a young child can recognise and internalise racial biases without structured teachings, why are academic institutions positioning themselves as advocates for change when the beneficiaries of that change are primarily white middle-class women? As a gay white man, I am considered a majority demographic within the fashion industry, historically praised for dressing this demographic of Caucasian women. Kwahli’s mention of progress benefiting predominantly white middle-class women makes me question the fashion industry’s default beauty standards. Trends and inclusivity gestures often target non-white demographics when present in the zeitgeist; otherwise, these underrepresented groups are left excluded.

Kwahli’s insights remind me to utilise my privileges by giving space to less-represented people. As part of a marginalised societal group, I must leverage my understanding and platform to support and uplift others and ensure that inclusive dialogue and representation are present within my pedagogical approaches. It wasn’t until the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020 that higher education institutions began proactively verbalising racial biases, especially towards Black and minority women or the working class. Apart from these, your essay does a commendable job of juxtaposing your experiences with those expressed in the video and shedding light on the systemic biases prevalent in academia and the fashion industry.

As diversity, eurocentrism, and nepotism become more open discussions within fashion academia and the industry, we should encourage environments where these varied voices can coexist. We must decentralise away from European fashion Universities such as Central Saint Martins being looked to as spearheading the future.

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Disability: Reflecting on UAL Disability & Dyslexia Webpages

Reflecting on the UAL Disability Service Webpage. 

I found UAL’s claims about embedding Inclusive Practices on the UAL webpage intriguing, especially in how they provide accessible tools and resources for dyslexic and disabled individuals. Recently diagnosed with dyslexia, I’m adjusting to new online working methods and am discovering the array of accessibility tools available. This awareness arose from my enrolment in this course. Without it, my staff status wouldn’t have made me eligible for assessment.

The UAL Disability Service Webpage showcases some accessible working tools. Examples include mixed mediums with videos paired with transcriptions, calming visuals, and links to external resources such as AccessAble (AccessAble, 2023). However, UAL’s stark black-and-white online branding sometimes hinders comprehension and navigation. This isn’t the case with all UAL platforms. For instance, the Access, Support and Facilities for Disabled Students at UAL downloadable PDF (UAL, August 2021) and Moodle offer customisation options like preferred display colours, text size, language, and font (Moodle, 2023). It was an enlightening experience discovering these tools during my dyslexia screening with a UAL advisor.

Yet, I question why such accessibility isn’t universally available across all UAL online communications or even offered to staff when grading via Moodle. Offering such features would significantly improve the marking process, especially for individuals like me. This creates greater difficulties for myself when considering the department’s marking requirements, where dyslexia isn’t accounted for in terms of workloads and teaching preparation. Additionally, it’s concerning that some long-standing tutors in the department aren’t mandated to provide formal feedback. When I sought clarity, I was simply told, “they are old school.”

Upon further exploration, I’ve identified discrepancies between certain aspects of the UAL PG Cert course and the primary UAL site. The language in UAL’s texts is notably dense, which could pose challenges for some users, particularly for disabled international students whose first language isn’t English (Odeniyi, V, 2023).

Given my experiences, I feel well-positioned to use the Disability & Dyslexia UAL webpage as a resource when working with students who have disabilities or learning difficulties. By sharing my journey with the site and detailing my screening and support sessions, I hope to instil comfort and confidence in them. It’s worth highlighting that many celebrated artists and creative thinkers, like Pablo Picasso (Succeed with Dyslexia, 2022), navigate the challenges of dyslexia.

Bibliography

AccessAble (2023), University of the Arts London (UAL). AccessAble Website. Available at: https://www.accessable.co.uk/university-of-the-arts-london-ual (Accessed 26/07/2023).

Moodle (2023), Homepage. Moodle Webpage. Available at: https://moodle.arts.ac.uk/login/index.php (Accessed: 24/07/2023)

Odeniyi, V. (2023), Reimagining Conversations. University of the Arts London. PDF (online). Available here: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/359339/Reimagining-Conversations_FINAL.pdf (Accessed: 24/07/2023).

Succeed with Dyslexia (2021). 4 Fabulous Famous Artists With Dyslexia. Succeed with Dyslexia. Available here: https://www.succeedwithdyslexia.org/blog/the-famous-artists-you-didnt-know-had-dyslexia/ (Accessed: 24/07/2023).

University of the Arts London (2021), Access, Support and Facilities for Disabled Students at UAL. PDF. (Online) Available here: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/30767/Access-Support-and-Facilities-for-Disabled-Students-at-UAL-PDF-302KB.pdf (Accessed 24/07/2023)

University of the Arts London (2023), Disability & Dyslexia. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/student-services/disability-and-dyslexia. (Accessed 24/07/2023).

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Disability: Reflecting on #DisabilityTooWhite Interview with Vilissa Thompson

The #DisabilityTooWhite campaign, created by Vilissa Thompson, has prompted me to consider the intricate intersections of disabled, marginalised individuals of colour. This systemic lack of representation diminishes their visibility and significantly impacts their self-esteem and self-identification.

Integrating this interview and the hashtag into my teaching pedagogy could involve designing a project where fashion communication students must create a social media campaign with a core focus on addressing an audience that experiences a specific disability. This could enable the students to cultivate a well-rounded understanding of representation and inclusivity and foster improved consideration for accessibility within their work. An initial exercise for this would involve students analysing a chosen company’s social media content over a specified period and identifying the portrayal, and lack of, disabled PoC representation and accessibility tools.

The interview was published in 2016, almost a decade ago. Because of this, it makes me consider how the hashtag resonates today and question the progress made since then concerning intersectional identities and disability in our current social landscape. Incorporating Thompson’s comments on the backlash and the role of allies would further enrich our classroom discourse. Emphasising the importance of active listening, acknowledging privilege, and understanding the intricacies of allyship are points to note when discussing this.

More generally speaking, this movement will provide a tool to emphasise the role of digital advocacy in modern activism. Given my focus on sustainability, it’s crucial to take this on board moving forward. Using #DisabilityTooWhite as a case study, I could instigate more conversations surrounding how such movements can amplify marginalised voices, challenge the status quo, and drive societal change.

On a personal note, I admire Thompson’s unwavering commitment to addressing this void. Her endeavour is a reminder of educators’ crucial role in embedding diverse representation and accessibility into our curricula.

Even if accidental, the #DisabilityTooWhite campaign underscores the urgency to prioritise diverse representation of disability in our academic discourse.

Bibliography

Blahovec, S. (2017) Confronting the Whitewashing Of Disability: Interview with #DisabilityTooWhite Creator Vilissa Thompson. Huffington Post. Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/confronting-the-whitewash_b_10574994?guccounter=1 (Accessed: 27 July 2023)

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Disability: Reflecting on Christine Sun Kim’s process film.

After watching the film about Christine Sun Kim’s work and practice, it’s fascinating to understand how she integrates her personal experience into her work and uses her disability at the centre of her processes. It’s inspiring to reflect on how this could influence my teaching methodologies, ensuring that, pedagogically, I provide an inclusive learning experience. It also initiates a dialogue with students about adopting a multisensory approach to communication, recognising that audiences will interact with their work in diverse ways.

In my current role, I prompt students in a specific upcycling workshop to engage with the tactile nature of garments they’re repurposing. Drawing inspiration from Christine Sun Kim’s film, I could enrich this workshop by delving deeper into the broader realm of sensory experiences, such as a series of shorter activities focusing on the physical senses. Recognising how these focused experiences shape our engagement with materiality could get them thinking about how they can also be aware of accessibility.

Christine’s practice offers valuable insights for educators teaching students with deafness or other physical disabilities that may limit their learning experiences. If I were to screen Christine’s film about her journey, I could initiate a dialogue surrounding the importance of inclusivity in audience engagement and the benefits of viewing our practices from diverse perspectives with students.

The movie touches on Christine’s challenges with language during her early years – navigating the complexities of her parents learning English while also trying to understand sign language. Language barriers resonate with many students, especially those for whom English isn’t a native tongue and who are new to the UK’s academic system. Embracing the idea that creative endeavours serve as universal communicative mediums — transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries — could significantly bolster my connection with these students.

Available here: https://vimeo.com/31083172 [Accessed on 29th July 2023]

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I am a “radical educator”

The global fashion industry is undergoing a significant shift, and the way that we interact with it is changing. For centuries, we have industrialised the earth’s resources and presented fashion through a western lens, associating its influence with beauty, power, and wealth. However, we live in a time where that paradigm is evolving, and we need to utilise our design thinking to problem-solve for the future.

When reflecting upon by peripatetic role throughout this course so far, I have been introduced to Arturo Escobar and his theories surrounding design theory and 
practice. The term “design consciousness” (Escobar, A., 2018) has been particularly inspirational for me as it revalidates my approach towards education and teaching-style. I do agree that as educators and practitioners, we have a responsibility and the opportunity to channel the act of making and designing towards solutions that are in tune with the planet and the people that inhabit it.

The term “radical educator” has come up regularly throughout the theory I have been referencing. Having taught at various levels within a range of institutions, never have I felt more “radical” than now. Joining a faculty world-renowned for promoting the ‘next big thing’ seemed like the right decision to make however, through practice it seems as though the infrastructure that the fashion courses are built upon are outdated, with more established lecturers being resistant to change.

Moving forward on the course, I am intrigued to read more of Escobar’s background and theories in relation to pedagogy. I hope that his theories, alongside others who speak of ecology and anthropology, will help to evidence my “radical” ideas of how to reinstate cultural relevancy into the course.

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Response to Marion Lagedamont’s Blog Post 01/03/2023.

Response: 01/03/2023 I completely agree with you in terms of seeking validation in achieving a high grade can ultimately fight against the freedom and immersion of self-discovery of your own creative practice. The fact that we work/study creative subjects within a capitalist structure (i.e. a University business model) means that the pressure upon staff and students to achieve high grades (and societal validation) can ultimately affect the way in which we teach, and the way in which the students learn about themselves. Meaning, that judgement is made with a marking criteria, with comparison of students against each other. ‘Success’ as a concept is instilled within creative practitioners, I feel, because ultimately the work that we make is always being judged by someone, at some level. Perhaps if we approached teaching (and grading) in more collaborative ways such as peer-assessment and contractive feedback as well as peer-peer-afirmations, would help to deconstruct the societal viewed instilled upon us of what “high achievement” is. In reference to Gloria Dall’Alba’s theories in “Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being university teachers”. This would allow us to remind ourselves, and those we teach, that judgement of creative outcomes is subjective.

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PG Cert Session Reflections: Values and Ethics in Teaching.

This PGCert session that took place at LCC on 22nd February, was a particularly memorable session for me so far.

The session focused on the values and ethics of teaching, relating to the Climate and Social Justice policies instated by UAL this year. I was enamoured with the collective feelings surrounding this subject matter. Being so closely linked to my role and my practice, the session gave me a new-found alliance amongst other practitioners experiencing similar restraints and struggles within their field.

As part of the afternoon session, Lindsay asked us to form groups and conduct an activity dependant upon our understanding of the Embedding Climate, Racial, and Social Justice’ Guide for course teams. Our group collectively decided to re-write the framework, and reimagine a ‘ideal’ methodology that could be applied moving forward. We did not finish the activity during the session however, I have completed this below:

> Define principles

Problems Identified with the current framework: Tokenistic, greenwashing is present, a choice is presented rather than a necessity, policies are theoretical, should consider the four lenses: Social, Cultural, Environmental, Economic Sustainability.

  • BASELINE SHIFT– Acknowledging Sustainability
  • Baseline will be the shift: this is to acknowledge the urgency of these issues presented.
  1. AWARENESS CONVERSATION – Teaching about Sustainability

FOUR REQUIRED UNITS:

  • Environmental Unit – Material Awareness Unit as necessity. 
  • Cultural Unit – Cultural Exchange Project
  • Economic Unit – No money used – eliminating student financial hierarchy/abilities.
  • Social Unit – Collaborative Unit
  • IDEATION – Teaching for sustainability
  • All design studios will be circular in their approach. 
  • Reality of process – choice and impact
  • Manifesto of Make 
  •  SHIFT INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION – Exchange as sustainability
  • Influence within industry.
  • Knowledge exchange

Work out a process for stakeholders and who to involve
Student Agreement signed upon arrival. 
Application process. 

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Why a t-shirt?

Ahead of the microteaching session, Lindsay suggested that we look into OBL (Object-Based Learning) theory.

Pre-session: I am looking forward to the microteach today. Writing new and re-writing existing briefs excites me. I chose a t-shirt as the object of focus for this OBL session, a garment I sometimes refer to when teaching as it is one of the most overproduced garments in the world and rarely changes in shape or style. It also has significant relevance within my own practice, having included an artwork in my solo exhibition entitled ‘The Anthropologist’ that was exhibited at the Sarabande Foundation in April 2022. (See handout below)

Post pandemic, Clare Lomas and Maria Costantino at London College of Fashion referenced online OBL using universally recognised objects, “The choice of face mask proved to be successful as it allowed for different cultural experiences and backgrounds to be shared” (Lomas, C. and Constantino, M. 2022). I found this to be a particularly interesting reference as the face mask has become such a universally recognised object over the last few years. Similarly to the t-shirt, PPE face masks were produced in the billions in 2020 and are “estimated to take up to 450 years to decompose” (Natural History Museum, 2022). Through a universal understanding of an object, removed from context, my intention was to build upon this idea within the session with the aim to foster cross-collaboration and more conscious design thinking.

Post-session: Upon reflection of this microteaching session, I have gained a reinstated belief in solution-based design thinking through cross-disciplinary collaboration. By posing one industries waste as a resource, it could be utilised in another, reimagined through the lens of that discipline.

QR Code Link to Microteaching Brief
THE T-SHIRT (WINDOW TANK), 2022, 84 x 71 cm (33.07 x 27.95 in)
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Work Loads and Team Spirit 08/02/2023

So far, I have found it challenging to find the balance between multiple work loads and schedules. The PGCert has so far, provided a great platform and space for me to assess my working practice with that of others however, many Moodle notifications later, I am finding time management overwhelming.

“The positive interdependence that binds group members together is posited to result in feelings of responsibility for (a) completing one’s share of the work and (b) facilitating the work of other group members.” (Johnson & Johnson, 2009). This quote feels extremely relevant here as working collaboratively with other lecturers on the PGCert has proven to be extremely reassuring. Working collaboratively and feeling a mutual interdependence during sessions has had a positive impact on my learning through the awareness of a shared experience. A particularly beneficial activity has been the introductory question, posed at the start of each physical session at LCC. Not only has it created a strong rapport amongst the cohort, but initiated deep and insightful reflections that have helped me to deal with hurdles such as workloads.

My work partner Marion, and I, have developed a close friendship through this experience. I am unsure if the partnering was intentional or randomised however, with both of us being of similar age and experience, we have shared a mutual feeling towards the difficulties and benefits of implementing ‘radical’ pedagogy. I look forward to getting to know other members of our cohort better also. So far, I am enjoying being the only faculty member from my team in this cohort. It has allowed for a freedom of speech and is providing perspective on how other courses are structured. This is in addition to understanding how others approach team moral, and handle time management.