Trigger Warning: Institute Ownership

‘Trigger Warning: Institute Ownership’ is a collaboration between Shades of Noir and CSM Museum Archive Collection. This educational group project has been established in order to support UAL wide student-led change and is supported by a social justice teaching framework that encourages critical dialogue.

Designed by Shades of Noir with the CSM Archive team this project highlights a range of problematic and or challenging artefacts within the collection creating opportunities for creative critical learning, reflection and discussion. These artefacts evidence the historical white dominance of institutional ownership of archival material within the Museum. 

In this project, we have been critically engaging with 6 artefacts and focusing on 1 artefact per workshop. The structure of the workshops is tailored to the type of artefact that is being discussed and responses collated in accordance with anti-racist and social justice methodology. 

We view this collaborative project as an opportunity to open up dialogue and challenge the historical white canon. The project works with UAL students who wish to make work exploring issues located in social justice. Facilitators work closely with students who develop anti-racist responses which document their interactions with the artefacts. 

Anti-racism pedagogy doesn’t mean the erasure of painful history, but to embed teaching practices that encourage understanding and learning with historical context, multiple narratives and empathetic support.

We salute you and hope that your engagement stimulates more conversations. 

Judy Willcocks, CSM Museum and Study Collection – ‘The CSM Museum & Study Collection celebrates diversity and wants to provide a safe space for student voices to be heard. 

We hope this project will enable us to have braver conversations about the ways our colonial past surfaces in Museum Collections, so we can play our part in combating racism wherever it’s found.’

Dates/Location: Open every day 11th January – 26th March 2020

Private View: Tuesday 14th January 5.30pm – 9.30pm Room C303

CSM Museum & Study Collection Window Gallery, The Crossing, Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AA