Workshop Description
Exploring Intersectionality through Object-based Learning
This workshop will use the CSM Museum’s historic collection and hands-on practice of object-based learning to spark inspiring thoughts and important conversations about the intersections between race, neurodiversity, and gender. From learning about the CSM Museum’s services and field of object-based learning, to exploring diverse objects from the Graduate Award collection with peers, you will meet students from other courses, gain transferable skills, and knowledge that will enrich your coursework and inspire your creative thinking.
The workshop will be led by Curriculum Development Curator, Dayna Tohidi, and is part of her PgCert Action Research Project. As a neurodiverse woman of colour and recent Central Saint Martins alumna, Dayna understands the importance of embracing your identity and navigating your place within this creative institution. Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping future workshops and fostering a more inclusive and supportive academic environment.
While specifically designed for neurodiverse women of colour, all students are welcome to join and share their valuable feedback. The workshop will be based at the CSM Museum in Kings Cross and take approximately 3 hours, with breaks included to ensure a comfortable and engaging experience.
Workshop Outline
Learning objective:
- Explore the three intersecting identities of neurodiverse women of colour through museum objects
OBL activity:
- Emotional reading to encourage meaningful reflection and group discussion about the objects
Object selection:
- Reimagined in Pink artwork by Elektra Moga
- Framing Fragility embroidery samples by Angelica Ellis
- Worth 100 Women prints by Farida Eltigi
- 30 Questions parody video by Maria Mahfooz
- National Coming Out Day prints by Ashton Attz
- Eso Extension fibre bundles by Funmi Olawuyi
Workshop structure:
- Welcome and Introduction:
- Introductions, workshop goals, and agenda overview
- Icebreaker: What Does Intersectionality Mean to You?
- Participant sharing and facilitator explanation
- Object-Based Learning (OBL) Activity:
- Introduction to OBL.
- Handling instructions.
- Exploration and discussion (observation, analysis, reflection)
- Comfort Break
- Group Reflection and Discussion:
- Reflecting on the theme of intersectionality and workshop learnings
- Closing and Evaluation:
- Summary of key points.
- Participant feedback (survey/questionnaire)
Resource list:
- Participant consent and ethics forms (email in advance and provide printed handouts)
- CSM Museum presentation (display on screen and provide printed handouts)
- Workshop agendas (display on screen and provide printed handouts)
- Emotional reading worksheets (display on screen and provide printed handouts)
- Object handling instructions (display on screen and provide printed handouts)
- Object descriptions (provide printed handouts for each object)
- Post-workshop survey (display QR code on screen and provide printed handouts)
Neurodiversity accommodations:
- Coordinate with the Lethaby Gallery team to ensure minimal background noise
- Coordinate with the Estates team to ensure a comfortable room temperature.
- Encourage participants to have a protein-rich snack to maintain focus
- Use simple, visual presentations with minimal text and clear visuals
- Limit sensory engagement by keeping audio at a low volume
- Pause periodically to ask if participants have questions or need clarification
- Keep instructions concise, breaking them into small, clear steps
- Demonstrate handling techniques with one object to model the process
- Give participants time to rest, recharge, and process their thoughts
- Reassure participants that they are free to contribute in any form
- Use printed prompts as conversation starters to encourage engagement