This intervention is proposed from studying the QAA’s Inclusive Education Framework (2023) and informed by a mind-map exercise combined with a small survey conducted with students at LCF here. It is grounded in my expertise as both a designer and an educator, demonstrating how I can utilize that combination in a university environment. This is a revised version that incorporates feedback offered by my tutor and peers. Please check the attached file at the bottom for your reference.
Fashion Therapy: Fostering Inclusive Communities in Art and Design Higher Education through collaboration, dialogue and knowledge exchange
In today’s diverse educational landscape, it is essential to create inclusive environments where students from various backgrounds feel a sense of belonging and can freely engage with one another. This proposal seeks to address this need by introducing an intervention focused on building community and fostering inclusivity in art and design higher education settings through collaboration whilst also exchanging knowledge and building self-confidence.
Fashion Therapy is an innovative platform designed to operate through a series of workshops held during the academic year. This platform aims to serve as a multifaceted space for students, providing a unique blend of networking opportunities, a decompression zone, and a creative environment conducive to dialogue, collaboration and knowledge exchange. Participation in Fashion Therapy will be run on a sign-up basis.
These workshops are specifically designed for those who are keen to develop their social skills, engage with hands-on craft and techniques in both 2D and 3D mediums, and explore creative processes that can stimulate self confidence and belonging on both personal and educational levels.
MAIN OBJECTIVES
- Networking Room: A dedicated space where students can connect with peers from different UAL colleges, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and expanding their professional and social networks.
- Decompression Space: An environment designed to help students unwind and destress, offering activities that promote mental well-being and provide a break from academic pressures.
- Creative Room for Dialogue: A forum for open discussions and idea exchanges, where students can share their creative projects, receive constructive feedback, and engage in meaningful conversations about art, design, and innovation.
- Craft and Hand-Driven Techniques: Practical sessions focusing on various 2D and 3D techniques, encouraging students to experiment with materials and methods that can enhance their artistic skills and inspire new projects.
By participating, students will have the opportunity to:
- Enhance their social interaction skills through collaborative learning and group activities.
- Explore and experiment with different artistic techniques, contributing to their personal and professional growth.
- Gain insights and inspiration from peers, mentors, and guest speakers from the creative industry.
- Develop a supportive community that fosters creativity and mutual encouragement.
Overall, Fashion Therapy is designed to pilot a dynamic and inclusive space that nurtures creativity, promotes well-being, and builds a strong sense of community among UAL students.
Theoretical Framework: the intervention will be informed by the following theoretical frameworks:
- Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner): Understanding how group membership influences individuals’ self-concepts and behaviours, particularly within the context of educational communities.
- Critical Pedagogy (Freire): Challenging traditional power dynamics in education to foster dialogue, collaboration, and critical thinking among students.
- Intersectionality Theory (Crenshaw): Recognizing the complex interplay of social identities and systems of oppression and privilege, and how they shape individuals’ experiences.
Audience: Students from all the University of the Arts London (UAL) institutions.
Practical Elements: Collaborative art projects and activities designed to encourage creativity, expression, and mutual learning – e.g.: production of zines, small samples in crochet, knitwear and macrame (which uses my expertise as designer).
Delivery Plan: The intervention will be implemented during the academic year, and will run three times: one in the second week of term 1; one in Activities Week in term 2 and one in Activities Week in term 3. Resources and materials needed for each session, including art supplies, multimedia equipment, and facilitation guides, will be identified and prepared in advance. I will be the initial facilitator of the pilot, but then participants will be given the opportunity to as a way of running it sustainably.
Promotion: Fashion Therapy will be promoted on college screens and white boards as well as shared with course teams aiming at including in weekly newsletters.
Evaluation and Reflection: the intervention will be evaluated through a combination of participant feedback, facilitator observations, and reflective assessments.
In conclusion, moving forward, based on feedback from tutors and peers, my intervention for inclusive practice will begin as a prototype, designed to evolve and expand organically over time. As the facilitator, my role is to create a supportive environment where participants can teach and learn from each other, exchanging skills and knowledge – something significantly present in my practice as designer already.
This framework provides not only the physical and conceptual space but also the initial spark needed to ignite creativity and collaboration at the same time it promotes a safe space for exchange. To enhance this process, I will document each session digitally, capturing the progression and creating simple instruction manuals for tasks like tying knots or other practical skills. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to lead sessions, fostering a dynamic and equitable power structure. By working with found materials, particularly utilizing the resource boxes at LCF, participants will engage in hands-on learning that could culminate in a final exhibition, showcasing their collective efforts and the journey of their shared learning experience as a response to belonging to a new found community.
References
Bhagat, D. and O’Neill, P. (2011) Inclusive practices, inclusive pedagogies: learning from widening participation research in art and design higher education. Croydon: CHEAD.
Chiang, S. (2016) Inclusive Pedagogy: Research & Practice Contributing to Policy. University of Edinburgh. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/electionbriefing7-inclusive-pedagogy-15-05-16.pdf
Gravett, K., & Ajjawi, R. (2021). Belonging as situated practice. Studies in Higher Education, 47(7), 1386–1396. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1894118
Hatton, K. (ed.) (2015) Towards an inclusive arts education. London: Trentham. [eBook in library]
Hill, V. & Singh, G. (2018) Critical Pedagogy #4 ‘What does it look like in practice?’ [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6ghTlyBDNk [Accessed 19 Mar. 2024].
Orr, S., & Shreeve, A. (2017) Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education: Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum (1st ed.). Routledge.
Plewis, Harriet. (2019) Reading Room: An Experiment in Expanded Reading. Retrieved from https://www.rile.space/books/reading-room-an-experiment-in-expanded-reading
QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education). (n.d.). The Inclusive Education Framework. Retrieved from https://www.qaa.ac.uk/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/the-inclusive-education-framework
Richards, A. and Finnigan, T. (2015) ‘Embedding equality and diversity in the curriculum: An art and design practitioner’s guide.’ York: Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/retention-and-attainment-disciplines-art-and-design (Accessed: 11 November 2022).
Schon, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books.
Drawing Club by Trudi Esberger and Kelly Hall (Join UAL’s weekly Drawing Club: Spring Forward at LCC | UAL (arts.ac.uk))