The Jhinuk Sarkar article entitled ‘Brown girl not in the ring’ resonated deeply with me, being a brown boy who is in the arts. My mother tongue as an undergraduate was also not nurtured in any particular formal, progressive creative direction. Reflecting on my undergraduate studies, I never incorporated my Punjabi language/text into my design work. Today, I encourage students to use their native language in creative ways, where appropriate, supporting their design solutions, enriching authentic expression. That Jhinuk was diagnosed with dyslexia while on the PgCert is to be celebrated. Unlocking the acknowledgement of a learning process.
I have always been an advocate of celebrating our student’s individual diversity. However, on the PgCert I have learnt to contextualise the multi-layers of our characteristics through the power of the word ‘Intersectionality’. It focuses and defines one’s various factors in our makeup.
For two consecutive academic years, my design partner and wife have collectively delivered a session which demonstrates our intersectionalities to students on the ‘Research, Design and Tailoring’ Level 4 unit, on BA (Hons) Bespoke Tailoring. This focuses on us being British-Asian, Indian, Punjabi speaking, Christian, Fashion Creatives. As a demonstration, this level of being vulnerable and transparent demonstrates to our students, to be encouraged to explore their own intersectionalities, in preparation to explore creative outcomes.
However, reflecting on Jhinuk’s story, it makes me wonder how many of our students go through their undergraduate programmes of study struggling, when they may be dyslexia, or have another form of learning difference. I believe our challenge is, when students enrol onto our courses, they are designed and planned to engage with a barrage of information. Within this, we include an introduction to our UAL Disabilities services. Mental Health is of course one of these areas. How do new students acknowledge or have the confidence to question their own learning, when they are in a new space, new culture and new environment, whilst establishing a sense of belonging? Is there better ways of understanding where are students are in their learning, upon arrival. For surely, isn’t it beneficial for us to know how to support our students with the next crucial 3/4 years of their study with us, with a level of pastoral care, which really demonstrates compassionate pedagogy.
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