Introduction:
This intervention aims to remove the responsibility of incorporating social justice as a singular responsibility on smaller teams and/or individual members of staff. I hope that I can do this by creating a framework for facilitation that can be adaptable, not only to the student body but to the facilitator as well. I intend this to be a small-scale action that can grow into something bigger over time.
“How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale. The patterns of the universe repeat at scale. There is a structural echo that suggests two things: one, that there are shapes and patterns fundamental to our universe, and two, that what we practice at a small scale can reverberate to the largest scale.” (Brown, A. 2017, p. 54)
Through this intervention I will be incorporating the way I work as a facilitator within a grassroots context at Queer Youth Art Collective, an alternative free to access art school program. I want to cultivate agency and adaptability (both for student and teacher) in the classroom through embodied speech of a manifesto created collaboratively with my students. I believe that through a collective act of speaking, we can create a stronger sense of community between us and our students.
(Photo by Val T Enfys, Me and the Queer Youth Art COllective cohort at an exhibition opening in 2024.)
“A community can take shape through the circulation of diversity. Diversity does not refer us to something (a shared object outside of speech) or even necessarily create something that can be shared. But in being spoken, and repeated in different contexts, a world takes shape around diversity. To speak the language of diversity is to participate in the creation of a world.” (Ahmed, 2012, p.81)
Why is this needed?
This intervention is designed specifically for the course that I am currently teaching (BA Illustration at Camberwell college of art) as an associate lecturer. During my 4 years in this position, I have observed a variety of attempts at tackling social justice through institutional training (Mandatory), and organised talks and special events (not mandatory).
In this time, I have also observed students creating racist and tokenistic work, complaints against staff for using racist imagery as references without context and more. Despite all of the training, events and observed complaints, I have only observed minor changes to the course, and minimal instructions around how I am expected to incorporate social justice into the curriculum.
I believe this is because the responsibility to act upon social justice is left on the shoulders of the few and not seen as the responsibility of the many (at least in my current workplace).
I am very inspired by the writings of Sara Ahmed who explains: It is not about what diversity does, it is about what you do with diversity. In her book “On Being Included” she explains how diversity work is often hindered by the institution itself and a lack of willingness from the greater staff cohort to bring upon change (Ahmed, 2015). It is because of this I wanted to prove that incorporating social justice methods into everyday teaching is possible without having to separate it into specific workshops or events that students and staff are often unlikely to take part in.
(Cover for “On Being Included, by Sara Amed, 2012)
How will I do this?
Hayfaa Al-Chalabi works as a Senior Lecturer in Illustration Coordinator for Integrated practice at Camberwell College on the Illustration program with me. She created a collective manifesto for her lecture series with the focus being on how to present difficult topics like race, politics, and illness by preparing students beforehand. From my Pov this greatly increased students’ agency in a space where they are normally just expected to be a listener and viewer.
I am intending to build on this by creating a code of conduct with my students. This collective manifesto will be spoken by the group at the start of every meeting, hopefully embodying the “language of diversity” together. In the context of the Camberwell Illustration BA course, this will be a cohort of 30 students, that have been placed in my care for their 3rd and final year.
This process involves 4 steps:
(Figure shows an old slide, this is how I used to introduce myself to students.)
Step 1: Introduction
Introduce myself to my new student cohort. This happens in person. I will present my positionality statement, speaking openly about my lgbt identity, my white and male passing privilege and make it clear that I want my classroom to be a space that is…
- Anti-racist
- Disability informed
- Pro LGBT
- Aware of class divides
- And lastly a brave space informed by transformative justice methods
Brave Spaces and Transformative Justice?
(Image showing the Drama Triangle and The Empowerment Dynamic, https://theempowermentdynamic.com/about/)
In my workplace the word “safe space” is often thrown around, I find this problematic as in my experience as a community organiser, there is no such thing. If we tell students that our classrooms are safe spaces, we do not make space for critical discussions, and I fear we might be setting false expectations for students who come from a minority background. I therefore suggest that using a brave space model is better, especially when also applying ideals found in transformative justice in the classroom. This allows students and staff to be prepared and ready for clashing opinions, needs, and more.
Resources for reading:
https://transformharm.org/tj_resource/transformative-justice-a-brief-description/ (Transformative Justice)
https://leadershiptribe.co.uk/blog/the-drama-triangle-explained (Drama triangle)
https://theempowermentdynamic.com/about/ (Empowerment triangle)
Step 2: Incorporating Student Voices
3 questions for students to answer as a collective in my classroom and anonymously via an online form.
- What do you need in the space to feel seen and respected?
- What do you need to feel included?
- What do you need to feel confident?
Step 3: Write it!
I will use this data to write a statement that can be read in 5 minutes. This piece of writing will be brought to the next meeting with my group, where we will take turns reading it out loud together.
Through the year the group can suggest changes to the statement either verbally in person or by anonymous feedback. It will be my job to keep the statement up to date and ensure that students see that they can impact and change it. I will encourage the braver voices to make space for the shyer ones. With the goal of everyone having read it out loud by the end of the year.
Step 4: End of year reflection
We will compare the first draft of the statement to the most current one. I am hoping that through re-reading both statements we can share a moment of celebration around how we all helped shape the classroom together and that they will all feel empowered to continue to do so outside of the classroom.
Conclusion:
So far this is a speculative project that will ultimately need to change as students and staff help develop these spaces together. I have formulated it thanks to feedback from Jayoon Choi, Jen Franklin, Jhinuk Sarkar, Amberlee Green and Hayfaa Al-Chalabi. I believe it is a start to incorporating social justice into everyday teaching.
Thank you for reading.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Ahmed, S. (2012) On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life. Durham, N.C. ; London: Duke University Press.
Edmonson, E. (2025) How to set up an Art School. Southend on sea: The Other MA
Richards, M, C. (1989) Centering: in Pottery, Poetry, and the Person. 2nd edn. Conneticut: Wesleyan University Press.
Abbott, John. The Improvisation Book, Nick Hern Books, Limited, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=1826499. Created from ual on 2025-02-26 09:41:37.
Hooks, bell.Teaching to Transgress : Education As the Practice of Freedom, Taylor & Francis Group, 1994. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ual/detail.action?docID=1656118.
Brown, A.M. (2017). Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. Chico, CA: AK Press.
Arao, B. and Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces a new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. [online] pp.135–150. Available at: https://www.anselm.edu/sites/default/files/Documents/Center%20for%20Teaching%20Excellence/From%20Safe%20Spaces%20to%20Brave%20Spaces.pdf.
Mingus, M. (2021). About The Empowerment Dynamic – Center for The Empowerment Dynamic. [online] transformharm.org. Available at: https://theempowermentdynamic.com/about/.
Mingus, M. (2019). Transformative Justice: A Brief Description . [online] https://transformharm.org/. Available at: https://transformharm.org/tj_resource/transformative-justice-a-brief-description/.
Leadership Tribe (2023). The Drama Triangle Explained. [online] Leadership Tribe UK. Available at: https://leadershiptribe.co.uk/blog/the-drama-triangle-explained.
Al-Chalabi, H. (2024). Hayfaa Chalabi. [online] Hayfaachalabi.com. Available at: https://hayfaachalabi.com/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025]