The Cambridge Dictionary (2024) defines racism as “policies, behaviours, rules, etc, that result in a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race.” I believe this definition is pertinent to the Higher Education sector, where the unfair advantage has most notably manifested in the form of the attainment gap between white and students of colour. According to the UAL’s latest EDI report (UAL, 2022/2023), CSM has the highest attainment gap across UAL; it was -17% between white and B.A.M.E students in 2021/2022. This is made worse by the fact that only 23% of academic staff identify as B.A.M.E.

The TedxCroydon talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was insightful. Asif Sadiq argued that diversity training is often biased, built with stereotypes, and the opposite of inclusive (TedxCroydon, 2023). This is how I felt about UAL’s anti-racism workshop because it didn’t consider the spectrum of minority ethnic groups who also suffer the consequences of institutional racism. I agree with Sadiq when he says that education is delivered in a certain way and gives you a perspective, not the whole perspective. More often than not, that perspective is Eurocentric and drawn from dominant cultures. His point about diversity training focusing on the challenges and ignoring the successes of minority communities also resonated with me. In a talk I attended by disability advocate, Samantha Renke, she critiqued the medical model of disability and inspiration porn for causing a biased, negative portrayal of disability in society (Renke, 2024). Sadiq also argues that group and experiential learning are powerful tools for achieving diversity, which I have witnessed through my teaching practice as an object-based learning educator (TedxCroydon, 2023).

I found the Channel 4 video about white privilege quite hard to watch, mainly due to the fact the activity involved young children. I think the approach is effective in theory because it visually represents the widening of the divide between white and students of colour as more questions are asked. However, it was clear some students felt very uncomfortable and isolated, saying comments like “it’s unfair because none of us are white” (Channel 4, 2020). I think the activity would have been more effective and inclusive if there was one teacher of colour asking the questions and another checking in with students left behind.

Again, the positionality of the presenter for the Telegraph film about Advance HE’s impact on universities is problematic. It would have been more credible and impactful if it was led by a presenter of colour with lived experience of the “institutional racism” referenced by the co-chair of the Race Equality Governance Committee rather than a privileged white male professor who cannot understand or relate to the experience of the students he is interviewing (The Telegraph, 2022). I believe Advance HE has good intentions and that its Race Charter has potential to encourage anti-racist change across the sector, but it is likely to be superficial since it incentivises universities using an awards system. As Sadiq said in his talk (TedxCroydon, 2024), “true change is going beyond the boxes and really understanding that each and individual is part of that change.”

I commented on Yasi, Michelle, and Sid’s blog posts.

References

Bradbury, A., 2020. A critical race theory framework for education policy
analysis: The case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in
England. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2),
pp.241-260. 

Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge
Dictionary (2024) < RACISM |
English meaning – Cambridge Dictionary> [accessed 26 June 2024)

Channel 4. (2020) The School That Tried to End Racism. [Online}. Youtube. 30
June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg 

Garrett, R. (2024). Racism shapes careers: career trajectories and imagined
futures of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education. Globalisation,
Societies and Education, pp.1–15. 

Orr, J. (2022) Revealed: The charity
turning UK universities woke. The Telegraph [Online]. Youtube. 5 August.
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU

Renke, Samantha. “Social Justice in Museums: advocacy, activism and
co-production”. Lecture to Social Justice in Museums Study Day, 18 June.
2024, Museum of London

Sadiq, A. (2023) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it
right. TEDx [Online}. Youtube. 2 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw 

UAL (2022). Equality,
Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Report 2022/2023.
UAL. Available at: UAL
Equality Diversity and Inclusion annual report 2022/23 (arts.ac.uk) (Accessed:
06 May 2024)

The main recurring theme that stood out to me when analysing the resources provided within the context of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality is that women with intersecting identities are particularly vulnerable to oppression and discrimination. In Crenshaw’s theory, she explains that political and social movements often marginalise those who are at the intersections of various identities, such as Black women (Crenshaw, 1990). Similarly, Haifaa Jawad’s blog demonstrates that, although the ‘Accept and Respect’ statement endorses Muslim women’s participation in physical activity, “women’s participation in the sporting arena is contested because the dominant (Western/secular) sporting culture can lead to high visibility of women’s bodies and public mixed-sex arenas,” (Jawad, 2022). Such exclusion is a consequence of using single-axis frameworks that consider faith and gender separately (Crenshaw, 1990) and requires secular states and international sports governing bodies to provide sex-segregated spaces and accommodations for modest dress (Jawad, 2022).

UAL’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Report 2022/2023 shows a steady decline in the number of students who state they follow a religion and belief. Between 2019/2020 and 2023/2024, the figure decreased from 34% to 29% (UAL, 2022). This data makes me ponder if the rise in global wars and political turmoil has changed students’ views on religion or instilled fear in revealing this part of their identity. As (Reki, 2023) states in his article, marginalisation affects students who are religious differently. He explains that “those who adhere to a minority religion in the West, such as Jews are reported to have “decreased sense of well-being and increased religious skepticism” in college contexts compared to those in a religious majority (Reki, 2023). At UAL, the religious majority identify as Christian (UAL, 2022).

In light of the recent occupation of the CSM reception by UAL’s Social Justice for Palestine student group (UAL_SJP, 2024), I also took note of the fact that 1% of the college’s students identify as Jewish compared to 4% who identify as Muslim (UAL, 2022). While this group is peacefully protesting against the genocide happening in Gaza, it is unjust to alienate Jewish students by tainting them with the same brush. I agree with Religion Professor, Simran Jeet Singh, who says that “there are multiple ways of looking at things and we need to try understand where people are coming from with empathy,” (Trinity University, 2016).

As I have discussed in previous blog posts, one limitation of not teaching a regular group of students is that I am unaware of their intersecting identities. Therefore, faith is not a feasible strong consideration to have my practice. However, I try to navigate sensitive objects and topics, like religion, with respect and diplomacy to prevent conflict occurring between students during group discussions at object-based learning workshops. Earlier this year, my manager, Judy Willcocks, noted some tension arise between student curators for our Belongings exhibition (UAL, 2024), which celebrated the contribution of migrants and refugees to British culture. This was a learning curve for our team, which highlighted the significance of having appropriate training to mitigate tension that leads to distress amongst students.

I commented on Yasi, Michelle, and Michael’s blog posts.

References

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity
politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.
1241–1299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.

Jawad, H, (2022) ‘Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim
Women’, LSE, 22 September. Available at: Islam,
Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women | Religion and Global Society
(lse.ac.uk) (Accessed: 22 May 2024).

Rekis, J. (2023) ‘Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An
Intersectional Account’, Cambridge University Press, Issue 38, pp.
779-800, Available at: 10.1017/hyp.2023.86

TED (2014) Kwame Anthony Appiah: Is religion good or bad? (This is
a trick question). 16 June. Available at: Kwame Anthony Appiah: Is
religion good or bad? (This is a trick question) (youtube.com) (Accessed:
22 May 2024.

Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and
Stereotypes in Classroom. 1 December. Available at: Challenging Race, Religion,
and Stereotypes in Classroom (youtube.com) (Accessed: 22 May 2024).

UAL (2022). Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Report 2022/2023.
UAL. Available at: UAL
Equality Diversity and Inclusion annual report 2022/23 (arts.ac.uk) (Accessed:
06 May 2024)

UAL_SJP. (2024) ‘The reception area of UAL Central Saint Martins is occupied!’ [Instagram]. 16 May. Available at: UAL Students for Justice in Palestine (@ual_sjp) • Instagram photos and videos (Accessed: 22 May 2024).

UAL. (2024) Belongings. Available at: Museum exhibitions | Central Saint Martins (arts.ac.uk) (Accessed: 22 May 2024).

Having read Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality at the start of Unit 2, I was able to understand the intersectional issues conveyed in all three interviews as “potential coalitions between race, gender and disability,” (Crenshaw, 1991). While Ade Adepitan, Chay Brown, and Christine Sun Kim’s lived experiences are unique, I took note of certain parallels. For example, there is a clear need for and reliance on the disabled community they identify with. In Sun Kim’s own words, “a perk of being a member of the deaf community is you have a shared culture, a shared language, and so people like to stay there. They don’t want to be oppressed the way they are in the hearing community, but sometimes they get trapped in that echo,” (Art 21, 2023). Meanwhile, the Paralympic community has given Adepitan evidence that, when society gives disabled people opportunities to thrive, “the sky is the limit,” (Paralympics GB, 2020)

Moreover, there is a recurring notion that it is not the disabilities that impact the quality of life of the interviewees, but rather society that makes their disabilities feel like a hindrance. In the interview with Adeptian, he says that he is “disabled because society has not allowed [him] to shine,” (Paralympics GB, 2020). Adversely, Sun Kim’s experience of living as a deaf artist in Berlin demonstrates the improved quality of life that can be achieved when you live in a country where the ” government actually supports their people,” (Art 21, 2023). Oppression and discrimination are particularly apparent in the interviews with Adepitan, whose physical disability intersects with race, and Chay Brown, who hidden disability intersects with gender. The reason for this is likely to be that society has historically attached a lot of shame and stigma onto people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, and mental health illnesses. Yet, Brown acknowledges that being a white trans male with a hidden disability makes him more privileged than some members of the neurodiverse, LGBTQ+ community (Parapride, 2020). This statement resonates with Crenshaw’s point about accounting for “multiple grounds of identity when considering how the social world is constructed,” (1991).

According to UAL’s EDI Annual Report, 21% of students studying at CSM in 23/24 declared a disability, which is 3% higher than 22/23 and the highest figure across all the UAL colleges (UAL, 2022, pg. 21). Interestingly, the attainment gap between non-disabled and disabled students was only 2% in 22/23, which suggests that educators are fulfilling additional support needs. With regard to disability considerations in my own teaching context as the Curriculum Development Curator of the CSM Museum & Study Collection, I am yet to encounter declared hidden or physical disabilities. The reason for this is likely to be that I rarely teach the same group of students more than once, so either the tutor or student don’t feel the need to tell me in advance if there are disability considerations I should be aware of before delivering object-based learning workshops. However, having taught more than 500 students in the last six months across all colleges and levels of education, I feel confident to say that neurodiversity impacts most of my students. In one instance when the tutor was present in my workshop, he spoke with me afterwards in private about the conduct of a particular student who was quite disruptive, alluding to undiagnosed ADHD.

I commented on Yasi, Michael, and Sid’s blog posts.

References

Art 21 (2023), Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” –
Season 11 | Art21. 01 November 2023. Available at: Christine Sun Kim in
“Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21 – YouTube (Access: 06 May
2020)

BBC Three (2023) Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change. 2 July. Available at: BBC One – Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change (Accessed: 24 May 2024).

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity
politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.
1241–1299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.

Paralympics GB (2020), Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of
systemic racism. 16 October 2020. Available at: Ade Adepitan gives amazing
explanation of systemic racism – YouTube (Accessed: 06 May 2024)

Parapride (2020), Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during
UK Disability History Month 2023. 13 December 2020. Available at: Intersectionality
in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023
(youtube.com) (Accessed: 06 May 2020)

UAL (2022). Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Annual Report
2022/2023. UAL. Available at: UAL
Equality Diversity and Inclusion annual report 2022/23 (arts.ac.uk)
(Accessed: 06 May 2024

In the feedback my tutor, Kwame Baah, gave me for the workshop he observed, he suggested I read an article about the function of museum pedagogy by academic, Matjaz Duh. This is my favourite article I have read since starting my PgCert because it made me contemplate about aspects of object-based learning that were not on the forefront of my mind.

The key message Duh conveys in his article is that the aim of museum pedagogy is to develop art appreciation in children and adults. According to Duh, (2015), “in the perception and reception of works of art, participants reach their own individual artistic interpretations of the given works of art. The method of aesthetic transfer emerges as the most appropriate didactic approach.” Duh also says that emotional responses need to be encouraged in museum pedagogy because they are critical to the perception and reception of objects, enabling students to reach into their own range of mental capacity. After reading this part of the article, I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and trial the emotional reading methodology during my upcoming object-based learning workshop for CSM BA Fine Art students. Consequently, I went on to curate a selection of objects that I felt would stimulate sensitive, humorous, or controversial responses that I would encourage students to share during the group discussion section of the workshop.

In addition to explaining the significance of museum pedagogy in developing art appreciation in children and young adults, Duh discusses the factors that enable museums to consider themselves as centers of learning. “To promote learning, museums and galleries have to realize the sometimes surprising fact that many actual and potential visitors prefer to learn in ways and about things that are profoundly different from the staff’s own preferences,” Duh, (2015). This suggestion resonated with me because it is very applicable to my own practice as the Curriculum Development Curator of the CSM Museum & Study Collection. Our collection has more than 30,000 objects across the landscape of art and design. As I studied fashion journalism at CSM, the objects that interest and excite me the most are related to fashion. Garments and accessories are also highly requested by CSM course leaders and visitors, so I frequently engage with them in my role.

However, I have been making a conscious effort to broaden my curatorial horizons when I develop object-based learning workshops for courses that approach me because I want to challenge myself and the students I teach. For example, when I recently worked with Foundation Architecture and Spatial Design students on the Heterotopias project, I deliberately selected peculiar, niche and random objects we have acquired in recent years through the Graduate Award for their object-based learning workshops. Not only was this an enjoyable and informative experience for me as a curator, but it proved to be a very successful strategy since the students were able to find many more objects that piqued their interest as a starting point for the diorama models they created for our window display.

References

Duh, M. (2015) ‘The Function of Museum Pedagogy in the Development of Artistic Appreciation’, Revija za elementarno izobraževanje, 1-17. Available at: (PDF) The Function of Museum Pedagogy in the Development of Artistic Appreciation (researchgate.net) (Accessed: 16 February 2024).

Head of CSM Museum & Study Collection, Judy Willcocks, delivered an interesting and inspiring lecture that made me reflect on the current ways in which I incorporate object-based learning in my teaching practice as the CSM Museum & Study Collection’s Curriculum Development Curator.

Since I work part-time and teaching takes up the majority of my workload, I try to find a balance between introducing novelty and relying on tried-and-tested teaching methods for my workshop plans. I always try to tailor my sessions to the course and tutor’s request, which influence my object curation and object-based methodology choice. However, upon reflection, I notice that I mostly change my objects, but apply the same popular methodology, which is Jules Prown’s forensic object reading. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to try other methodologies, but I haven’t had the time to explore them properly. Doing my PgCert and it starting with object-based learning has given me an opportunity to pause, think about my teaching approach, and set myself new challenges that take me outside of my comfort zone.

Willcocks’ lecture made me feel inspired to use Gillian Rose’s visual analysis, the emotional or extra-rational reading, and Sarah Campbell’s opposites game, more often. Duh (2015) explains that emotional responses are an “important component of appreciation” and “needs to be encouraged” when perceiving artworks. Moreover, it helped me to understand and appreciate the distinct and unique contribution art and design brings to the field of object-based learning. I would also like to think about this more consciously when preparing my sessions and analysing the way students react and engage with the objects. Last of all, her lecture made me think more profoundly about the frameworks which form my teaching practice, particularly why it is important to share or not share information about objects depending on the methodology used. According to an article my tutor, Kwame Baah, recommended I read, sharing knowledge before students have had the opportunity to critically analyse objects limits the effectiveness of such workshops. “We believe that premature explanation of an artwork wastes the research capacity provided by the work of art. Research is reduced to the activity of receiving the knowledge provided about the work of art and is limited, at most, to seeking conformity between the heard and the seen,” Duh (2015).

References

Duh, M. (2015) ‘The Function of Museum Pedagogy in the Development of Artistic Appreciation’, Revija za elementarno izobraževanje, 1-17. Available at: (PDF) The Function of Museum Pedagogy in the Development of Artistic Appreciation (researchgate.net) (Accessed: 16 February 2024).

I really enjoyed the first morning of the PgCert because it enabled me to view teaching in Higher Education from a much broader, profound, and inclusive perspective. It was fascinating to learn about some of the key reports that have shaped and influenced the higher education landscape, such as the Robbins and Platt reports. Moreover, it was so refreshing to speak with my peers about their teaching backgrounds and personal motivations for doing the PgCert.

I enjoyed the task where we had to summarise our articles for one another because it helped to break down intimidating academic texts and introduce the key themes and concepts of each paper. I chose Archiving Critically: exploring the communication of cultural biases by Grout (2019) because it was the most relevant article to my teaching practice. Before reading it, I had gained a basic understanding of how cultural biases were historically formed in archives through a UAL Short Course I did in Exhibition Design. Grout (2019) explains it well in her article: “The patriarchal structures that exist in society have resulted in the absence of women from archives…Even today, the archives sector recruits low numbers of professionals who identify as coming from marginalised groups.” When I started my job at the CSM Museum, my senior colleague, Judy Willcocks, also informed me of the prevalence of cultural biases in our collection and the actions we are taking to diversify it, such as acquiring objects through the annual Graduate Award and working with a Japanese student to decolonise the Japanese print collection catalogue.

However, this article consolidated the information I already knew and developed my understanding of cultural biases within archives. Prior to reading it, I didn’t realise that archives are often perceived as “neutral spaces which hold the ‘truth’ about a society or happening” Grout (2019). I also learned the meaning of cultural bias, which is “the way in which phenomena are interpreted and judged according to standards inherent to an individual’s own culture” Grout (2019). When I plan a workshop, I made a conscious effort to ensure the object selection I curate represents artists or makers from different genders, cultural backgrounds, and speaks to underrepresented sociocultural issues. This article made me reflect on my approach and understand the wider problem of under documentation in archival holdings that relate to gender identity, minority ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and religion. It helped to assert the importance of the work we do with the Graduate Award to ensure the new objects we acquire better represent the diverse and evolving CSM student community.

The article highlights solutions to overcome cultural biases within archives that I will begin to actively implement in my workshops. For example, I will treat them as tools to “confront issues surrounding social inclusion” and “facilitate critical discussion” Grout (2019). This guidance is especially pertinent to workshops that include objects by controversial artists or makers, such as John Galliano, Eadweard Muybridge, and Eric Gill. I feel fortunate to have a manager who encourages me to confront and discuss uncomfortable truths about our collection with students.

References

Grout, H. (2019) ‘Archiving Critically: exploring the communication of cultural biases’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, Issue 1, pp.71-75.

Although I was initially assigned a different article to read for this workshop, I struggled to grasp it in the time given and chose one that resonated with my teaching practice more since it was co-written by my senior colleague, Judy Willcocks. The article is titled The potential of online object-based-learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and design higher education and is co-written by Willcocks and Kieran Mahon.

I found this article really interesting because it made me reflect on my personal experiences of in-person vs online object-based learning, formerly as a student and now as a museum educator. Before reading this article, I disliked online learning due to the various challenges it presents for everybody involved. Willcocks and Mahon (2023) outline some of these problems in their article, including “perceived difficulties in building relationships, the risks of students getting lost, and the need for content to be parcelled up in manageable chunks.” However, with the overall student response to the Colonialism to Climate Crisis event being positive, it made me consider the ways in which online object-based learning makes museum collections and experiential pedagogy more accessible and innovative than in-person workshops.

As the Curriculum Development Curator, it is my job to organise, develop, and deliver all of the object-based-learning workshops we can offer. While I prefer in-person teaching when compared with my online micro-teaching session experience, I have also encountered the limitations of in-person object-based learning that were outlined in this case study. For example, the tedious nature of having to repeat up to four workshops in one day to get through an entire cohort, due to the space restrictions in our 15-person capacity study room. Moreover, there is a lot more responsibility and pressure on the tutor during an in-person workshop because you have to ensure all the students are handling objects appropriately as advised. This can be difficult to do with large groups and young students.

Overall, this was a fantastic article to read for my first workshop of the PgCert because it introduced me to new terms and ideas, but was accessible enough for me to feel like I could digest the material and take valuable points away from it.

References

Willcocks, J and Mahon, K. (2023) ‘The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and design higher education’, Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, Volume 22 Number 2, pp. 187–207. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00074_1