fmazzarella's blog

Shades of Noir

The Shades of Noir (SoN) website offers a wide range of programmes, publications and educational resources on social justice that leverage equality, cultural capital and the voices of students and staff who are marginalised in Higher Education settings.

Since curriculum design is part of my role as a Senior Lecturer, I plan to use the guidance provided by SoN in the development of the content of the elective Unit on ‘Fashion Practices for Social Change’, to understand exclusionary practices, create safe spaces in the delivery of the unit, and equip the students with skillsets and mindsets that foster social justice.

I have also found the virtual learning netiquette proposed by SoN very useful and I plan to adopt it in my online teaching and delivery of various webinars in the future.  

Another interesting resource which I was not aware of is the ‘Diversity Questions’, which will be useful for me in developing inclusive pedagogy, monitoring student experience and attainment, recruiting staff, and supporting a positive experience and development for staff members who I manage and work with.

Whilst the SoN framework is still valid and perhaps timeless, I wonder how can we ensure Climate, Racial and Social Justice principles are embedded within our curriculum in a commitment to accelerate decolonisation and decarbonisation of our educational and creative practice? And given that the safe(r) space crits may no longer be delivered by SoN since its closure, how can we create ‘safe’ spaces in social justice education, and how ‘brave’ are we in discussing ‘challenging’ subjects within our teaching practice?

A Pedagogy of Social Justice Education: Social Identity, Theory and Intersectionality

The article by Hahan Tapper discusses a US-based intergroup educational organisation to exemplify theories and principles of social justice education (as illustrated in FIgure 1). Although the context of the article (i.e. a US-based organisation running conflict transformation programmes) is quite different than that of UAL, I found the concepts of social identity theory, intersectionality and empowerment very relevant to my teaching practice in fashion and design for social change, and UAL’s wider commitment to embed social justice principles in the curriculum.

I agree with Freire’s argument that teaching can often perpetuate the status quo and that we need to challenge power dynamics and transform the educational system. In line with Freire’s point that we need to consider students’ identities and the teacher’s social identity in all educational settings, I believe it is crucial that – as educators – we facilitate opportunities for knowledge exchange with students and among them. Moreover, when I design or redesign units, I always ask for students’ feedback as a way to integrate their voices and experiences into the curriculum.

Another core take-away from this article is the need to shift from ‘contact hypothesis’ to ‘social identity theory’. This means that not only we need to create positive environments to facilitate interactions with people in order to eliminate stereotypes and overcome conflicts, but we should also facilitate the conditions for people to think of themselves and others as group members rather than unique individuals. This is at the core of the MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation course where I teach, whose ‘learning by doing’ ethos is underpinned by peer learning, and we – as educators – adopt a self-determined coaching approach with our ‘team entrepreneurs’, inspired also by the model of the Team Academy in Finland. Although I was not explicitly aware of the ‘social identity theory’, I believe I have applied this concept when I set up the ‘ReGo’ Collaborative Challenge brief, inviting my MA students to buddying up with young East Londoners, as experts of their own experiences, in order to build empathy, shift perceptions of youth violence, and develop effective collaborative projects grounded on complementary skills and shared values.

As I am setting up a Collaborative Challenge brief on ‘Decolonising Fashion and Textiles’, while I intend to invite my MA students to buddy up with refugees, I wonder how I can overcome the potential risks of ‘othering’ those vulnerable collaborators. With this in mind, I will try as much as possible to foster a sense of equality, the development of empathic relationships, and offer intercultural communication training to my students.

Witness: Unconscious Bias

The video by Josephine Kwhali challenges the definition and concept of ‘unconscious bias’, highlighting that if we are so conscious of something, how can we also become unaware of it? This is really timely in the educational landscape, and UAL is aptly developing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategies, Anti-Racism Action Plans, and Social Purpose agendas. However, the video reminds us that we still have a lot to do and talk about to get conscious about racism. Critically, Kwhali highlights that HEis have historically made conscious changes to benefit white people, but not enough has been done for minority ethnic groups. Since I joined UAL, I have taken the ‘Breaking Barriers’ mandatory training, but I realise that learning about unconscious bias is just a first step towards awareness, and I wonder what actions can be most effective for all of us to take in our everyday teaching practice, in order to really tackle structural and systemic racism.

Retention and Attainment in the Disciplines: Art and Design

This report raises relevant issues of retention and attainment of students in Art and Design, especially considering our increasingly diverse student body.

An important recommendation made by the authors of the report is to hire diverse faculty, in terms of race, gender, etc. to reflect student cohorts. Considering that the percentage of BAME staff presented in the report is strikingly low (3.6%), this poses serious issues for HEIs to improve their hiring policies and practices. I have always been mindful of this issue and of the fact that teachers are like role models for students. Whenever possible, I have tried to hire colleagues from diverse ethnic backgrounds. However, I am aware that this is issue is one of the effects of structural and institutional racism that requires a long time to be totally overcome, and I have little or no control over certain situations, but I intend to amplify the voice and practice of BAME colleagues, bring in diverse guest lecturers when I can, and diversity my teaching materials and reading lists.

I know that the UAL hiring policy requires for a member of interview panels to be BAME, but I wonder how can we overcome the issue that those few colleagues receive too many requests to sit in panels? And how can we go beyond what could be just a tick-box exercise and really contribute to organisational and systemic change?

Another interesting concept that I took away from this report is the ‘pedagogy of ambiguity’ linked to practice-based learning with open briefs. This is relevant to my teaching practice as I often set up student project briefs related to my research (e.g. for the Year 1 unit of the BA Fashion Jewellery course, as discussed in this blog post). In such cases, I ask open-ended questions that allow for a variety of responses, and I encourage my students to bring their lives experiences into their projects and learning journey. As a result, the students are genuinely driven by their personal stories, interests and experiences, and develop really authentic and original projects. In the end, the sharing of experiences is a very enriching experience for everyone, and this also contributes to amplifying the impact and reach of my practice. While such brief encourage risk taking, I have now become more aware of the potential ambiguity of my briefs, and in the future I will be more sensitive towards students – especially from diverse cultural backgrounds – who may look for more certainty and reassurance.

SoN Terms of Reference around Race – White Fragility

This publication reports on data on black attainment gap, discusses the concept of race in relation to issues such as white supremacy and privilege, and proposes pathways towards transformative change within arts education.

I was intrigued by the chapter by Robin DiAngelo, who unpacks the concept of ‘white fragility’ which was new to me. Given that I am a white European myself, I found this article really interesting as it discusses issues of racism from the perspective of white people, and made me reflect on the segregation, individualism, racial comfort and arrogance which we experience. Given that I have never experienced racism towards me directly, I acknowledge that I may be more inclined towards racial stress and have developed less resilience than people of colour.

This chapter reminded me of the importance to constantly acknowledge my own positionality and privilege in my work, the need to authentically engage with diverse students and staff, promote diversity in my teaching practice (in terms of decolonising the curriculum, inclusion of indigenous knowledge in fashion design practice, representation in fashion media, etc.) and deeply engage in tackling the racism that is embedded everywhere in my professional and personal life.

*** I commented on Fiona’s and James’s posts on Race ***

Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education

This stimulus paper made me question whether religion is something public or private, and made me consider important issues in the context of HEIs. I agree with Modood that we have a duty of care towards our students, and we need to consider also religious literacy and equality, beyond racial and sexual equality. This relates to the UAL Ethics for Making resources, and I wonder whether religion is much considered within the UAL Climate, Racial and Social Justice principles.

In the brief I recently developed for the BA (Hons) Fashion Jewellery course at LCF, I encouraged students to value identity, diversity, and cultural sustainability. Although most students had the same nationality, it was fascinating to witness that they developed diverse responses to the brief, drawing on their unique stories of identity and belonging. At the same time, many of them focused on Buddhist practices as an element of their culture that they wanted to sustain, through their jewellery designs.

I will definitely consider religion as an element of culture in my exploration of cultural sustainability going forward, e.g. for the Collaborative Challenge brief on ‘Decolonising Fashion and Textiles’ which I am developing, and in the ‘Fashion Practices for Social Change’ elective unit which I will deliver in a.y. 2024/2025. Building on this experience, as well as Reina Lewis’s research on modest fashion and faith, in the Collaborative Challenge brief which I am developing, I will create space to listen to diverse cultural and religious groups, and encourage dialogue across diverse students.

Overall, given that Universities are places of learning, I believe that we – as educators – have a responsibility to create safe spaces for dialogue and nurture our students to create positive social change, considering religion, and valuing diversity rather than dealing with it as an issue.

Shades of Noir: Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief

I really enjoyed reading the Terms of Reference from SoN as they highlight the need to create safe spaces, manage difficult discussions around race in HEIs, and consider tailored access to information for people with disabilities.

I particularly liked the interview with William Whitcombe, the Chaplain & Interfaith Advisor for LCF and LCC. I found it very relevant to my work which is concerned with socio-cultural issues of sustainability. I often provide pastoral care to my students, and this interview equipped me with suitable information to support religiously diverse people.

Considering the multi-faith world in which we live and work, I have witnessed that religion is an important strand of identity and culture for many students and can also influence their creative practice. For instance, I have supported an MA Fashion Futures student of mine in developing her research proposal on the influence of religion and ethics in sustainable fashion businesses. Initially, she worried that the focus of her project was too narrow (as it is not much discussed in current literature and practice of fashion) and was struggling to recruit participants for her primary research. I supported her to pursue this very original study, in which she deeply believed, and in the end, she managed to use creative methods to develop an ethical framework for exploring and embedding religious values in fashion organisations.

This example, and the text by William Whitcombe remind us to discover the spiritual side that exists in all of us. My main take-away is an awareness that it is our responsibility to find our unique entry point, and embark in a spiritual journey, facilitating dialogue with our students to support them in using the power of creativity to activate positive change.  

Kwame Anthony Appiah Reith lecture on Creed

Listening to the Reith Lecture by Kwame Anthony Appiah, I was fascinated by the positionality statement with which he opened his lecture. A key topic in this lecture which resonated to me is the consideration of religion as a social practice that can bring people and communities together. This reminded me of the importance to nurture students in developing skills of critical reflection and interpretation of artistic practice, also considering the socio-cultural context in which they operate. In my teaching practice, I tend to encourage my students to adopt a localist approach, and develop authentic fashion designs, grounded on a personal and spiritual approach to sustainability.

I recently supported an MA Fashion Futures student of mine at LCF in developing a practice research project aimed at designing a “religious” store or installation for second-hand fashion, in order to shape stronger and sustainable communities. I encouraged her to explore the links between religion, architecture, and fashion, and invited her to participate at a Summer School in Italy together with other students in Architecture from Monash University (Australia) and Central Saint Martins (UK).

Overall, when we bring together students from different practices, cultures and faiths, we need to facilitate a safe space for dialogue that encourages co-existence rather than prevalence of one dominant religion. I agree with Kwame’s argument that religious identities – like all identities – evolve. With this in mind, in a student project brief I am developing for the Collaborative Challenge unit, I will invite the students to engage with culture not as a fixed return to our roots, but as routes through which we travel, and our culture changes and develops. This way, I hope the students will develop culturally meaningful fashion and textile artefacts that express their shifting identities, and potentially include their diverse religious beliefs.

*** I commented on Eleni’s post on Faith ***

UAL Disability Service Webpages

This website offers a valuable overview of the wide range of services and support available at UAL for students with disabilities, such as dyslexia, physical impairment, mental health, and other conditions.

In my teaching practice, I always point students to the services available to them at UAL, so that they can receive the support needed, and be granted accommodated assessment deadlines for their coursework. In the past, I have had students with dyslexia who are highly creative, and may shy away from requesting support. When students have disclosed their disability with me, I have embraced the UAL values of respect, inclusivity, empowerment, and professionalism, by treating the information with confidentiality, adjusting my teaching practice to meet diverse needs, facilitating access to services, and creating a safe learning environment. For instance, when I set up student project briefs for the Collaborative Challenge at LCF, I generally hire venues in the East London community where my research is situated. One year, I had a student on a wheelchair joining the project, so I set up the session in hybrid format to allow her to join remotely, until I changed the venue to one on the ground floor and with step-free access to remove any barriers for her.

This is in line with the social mobility model used at UAL to support students by removing disabling barriers to study.

Film by Christine Sun Kim

This video showcases Christine Sun Kim’s art practice, questioning the ownership of sound, discussing the struggles she experienced when growing up as a deaf person being “boxed” or “othered” and her intention to reclaim her own language through the physicality of sound and performance.

Although I haven’t taught to any deaf students so far, this video is resonant to me as it relates to my teaching and research practice (on fashion and design for social change) with international people who face a language barrier, especially when communicating complex sustainability issues and elements of their cultural identity and diversity. In such cases, I tend to use the power of craft as a form of language and encourage my students and collaborators to value non-verbal language as a way to empathise with each other. By making things together, with my students we are able to craft textile and fashion artefacts that become our means of self-expression and communication of our own identity and culture.

Although this video was focused on sound, it made me think also about other intangible forms of art, e.g. light design (cfr. the exhibitions “Lux” and “Thin Air” in London, respectively in 2021-22 and 2023) which use the power of design to make the intangible tangible. With this in mind, I would like to integrate more such multisensory experiences in my teaching and professional practice.

Confronting the Whitewashing of Disability

This article discusses a hashtag campaign started by disability activist and blogger Vilissa Thompson regarding the representation – or lack of – of disable people of colour. Even if this article is focused on the media, it is very relevant to my teaching practice in fashion and design for social change, and it made me reflect on ways in which I can participate in such discourses and actions aimed at tackling systemic issues, and elevating the voices of disabled people of colour.

In my practice, I use fashion as a form of self-expression, and this is particularly relevant to my most recent research and teaching work with refugees where we use textile crafts to represent shifting identities in the rebuilding of lives in a new place. My ambition is to encourage my students to become change-makers, challenging the current fashion system and diversifying it, and in so doing, shifting from compassion (Bloom, 2016) to empathy (Gamman & Thorpe, 2015) and inclusion (Cipolla & Bartholo, 2014). It is important that all of us – both educators and students – acknowledge our positionality and privilege, and constantly shift power dynamics, so that disabled people of colour are not ‘othered’ and that actions are not taken just for a charitable purpose.

Even if I haven’t specifically focused on disable black people in my research and teaching practice so far, this article made me reflect on the importance of intersectionality and the need to find suitable ways to navigate these difficult territories, with sensibility, respect, and inclusivity. This is crucial work, that needs to be done not only by those who are victim of the marginalisation. In fact, everyone has the responsibility to empower people, and create an inclusive and supportive environment. Moreover, whilst so far I tend not to use technology much in my teaching practice, as I believe it can also exclude people, this article reminded me of the power of digital technologies to enable and sustain communication campaigns and social movements.

Such considerations expand also outside of the teaching environment, and going forward I intend to embed such values (including the UAL Climate, Racial and Social Justice principles) in my professional practice, engage also in advocacy work (e.g. collaborating with Carole Morrison on embedding Social Purpose in the curriculum), to activate change both within and outside the educational system, and build a legacy in my student community and institution.

*** I commented on Liz’s post on Disability ***