Conference review at The Royal College of Arts London
Words by Kerian Magloire
What does it mean to decolonise the institution? It’s more than additional black and brown faces in white spaces. It’s the subjective experience of social invisibility which is one of the many by-products of a system that steers ‘our’ social structures to overlook wider demographics. It’s a system that turns the students of these already under-represented groups invisible.
The Decolonising the Institution (DI) conference was largely dominated by student examples of the culturally sensitive nuances that are becoming increasingly problematic for educational institutions. These so-called ‘safe spaces’ of shared knowledge and values that universities project, is an attempt at meeting the high expectations of a broad millennial generation, resulting in many institutions now adopting an activist stance, using fad-like ethical values and beliefs as a branding strategy to reposition themselves as socially and politically progressive.
In the Royal College of Arts (RCA) Summary of Equality report between 2014 – 2016 outlines significant increases in the new BME (black and minority ethnic) subpopulation. The report boasted full-time BME academic staff jumping from 4.2% to 18.9% with the total BME student population rising from 34.7% to 41.03%. Despite these impressive statistics, the RCA continues to receive strong adverse criticism from their black and ethnic minority students. One Asian student complained of being “ostracised” by her white peers and lecturers after responding to what she considered “racially inappropriate behaviour.” While said: “I was scared to speak because I didn’t know what would come out and of the repercussions.”
Organised by the RCA student union and chaired by Rathna Ramanathan, Head of Programme for Visual Communication, the conference was guested by Shades of Noir Director-Aisha Richards, Editor & Educational Developer-Melodie Holliday, Project Manager-Andrew Illman, and RCA student union Co-President-Benji Jeffery.
When you are decolonising the curriculum, are we just talking about social structures, or is it about creativity, and the opportunity for creativity.”
—— Aisha Richards
The event highlighted the ubiquity of institutional inequality, frustration and isolation, but also the need for further development of innovative practices and initiatives that not only empower the marginalised, but are reshaping the tools and policies used by Higher Education. A great example of this is the Shades of Noir ‘Teaching Within’ programme.
The constant instability from social and political tremors has seen London-based institutions like the University of the Arts London and The Royal College of Arts attract an increasingly diversified cohort of students at foundation and undergraduate entry levels. Despite these progressions, British universities are not making the necessary changes to expand their cultural framework and curriculum to protect and meet the needs of students from other backgrounds, to perform at their full potential. Aisha Richard’s address not only shared some of the Shades of Noir practises, Richards spoke about “Shades” coming into being as a reaction to her experiences as a first student and later lecture at CSM.
“I don’t know what the future holds for decolonisation. The work that Shades of Noir does, focuses on liberation, liberations of the curriculum – and when I say that – I’m talking specifically about freedom and encouraging our students and the environments that they continue to learn in, to be places of inspiration that takes into consideration social justice.”
Whilst other ethnic groups now constitute a higher proportion of participants at the most selective institutions than in past years, there is still significant underrepresentation of some groups and a general lack of cultural understanding which inhibits progression globally. Shades of Noir’s real success has come from policy reform:
“We deal with policy for institutions, that might be around recruitment for staff and students, committee structures, and how you teach and the frameworks you use, and we deal with practice, with people. And that is something that is very important to an institution, the people.”
We now look to the positive outcomes of the DI conference and that is the greater demand for change and wider cultural representations in policy and the faculty, is forcing the RCA and those accountable to address their responsibility to all students, and more openly engage in discussions of intersectionality, and the racial complexities that face universities across the country.
