Introduction:- How Can Technicians Cross-pollinate their Workshops
My research question was going to be, ‘How can Technicians Decolonise their Workshops.’ But as I do not personally like the word decolonisation, I have called my research question ‘How Can Technicians Cross-pollinate their Workshops’. Being brought up within a dual background of a traditional Hindu family within British culture, it is important for me for to take the best of each background to cross-pollinate and not destroy, ignore, or condemn in representing the person who I am today.
Please look at my mind map for all the questions I have been asking myself.
Engaging with the Pg-Cert has allowed me to think about what research is, how as a technician working on a course which support students in the field of art-craftsmanship of creating through our hands. How does culture, heritage, tribe, disability, religion, sexuality, and neuro diversity play a part in education and decolonizing our work environment?
As someone who is a gay man, first generation British born of Indian heritage, who has worked in industry for over 25 years and now entered academia/education for six years, has given me a new lens in which to look through. Thinking about my own education 35 years ago and the education today, many things were not considered, like decolonising the curriculum let alone neuro diversity. It was this approach which left my dyslexia unrecognised at the time, so I developed skills creating through my hands and went on to a highly successful career in the process through being able to visualise in 3D.
Working with a large and diverse community of students and staff at UAL has allowed me to think; what is fashion? where does it come from? are we allowing students and staff to be expressive enough? can they be activists in their research? or have we just created new boundaries and playing lip service to certain policies within the education system.
Entering the maze of ‘Participatory Action Research and Social Justice’ left my head in a spin! Yes, it sounds crazy for a technician or anyone, as it rightly creates more questions than answers, How would I get through this, do I need to turn left or right, who will I meet on my journey, will people give me the right information, will I be able to see over the hedge, will they be blocking positions – But the end goal is to come out of this maze as a better educator than when I started, with a smile on my face and the knowledge I’ve gained.
In starting this project, I am using my own personal lens and experiences, and as in any participatory research, I’m hoping to hear voices of others to benefit my research project. As the Caroline Lenette video shows us, it is important to respect and acknowledge others, allowing them to be part of the research process, removing the hierarchical system in research. If we only look through the researchers’ lens, she reminds us about the importance of ethical forms when doing research gaining consent and not assuming that people would want to be a part of the research.
One important thing Caroline talks about is the well-being of the researcher and I really feel this because I am full time technician working I was 9:30 to 5.30 with three hours travelling time each day to work, in the morning allow myself to have 45 minutes of meditation in the form of my morning prayers as a Hindu. The other main responsibility I have, is that I am a carer for my mum on Saturdays so this only allows me to study and research on Sundays for my Pg-cert, but hopefully I can say to myself, I have done the best I can at the end.
Ref
Video
Caroline Lenette PAR Aug24
My name is Associate Professor Caroline Lenette.
I am in the School of Social Sciences at the University of NSW in Australia, and I am also the Deputy Director of the Big Anxiety Research Centre.
Data has traditionally been collected using 2D methods and as a creative and neuro-diverse person, this proves to be challenging and finding guides on how to do it were difficult, so I asked for help from someone used to doing it to help me by talking through the responses. If we are tackling social justice, we need to be activists if we’re embracing neuro diversity and inclusivity – It’s no good just showing pie-charts, graphs and lists of words because they don’t describe the human senses touch, listen, see and smell. Think of this like a restaurant menu which can only go so far to create the vibe compared to when you walk into a restaurant and feel the warmth, see the dishes, hear the sizzle and catch the smells which stimulate a reaction.
I took inspiration from my students, many of whom have English as a second language and who express themselves visually, and saw how they created art installations to show their work and thinking. Our students also present through portfolios and catwalks having the option to write less words and balance that with having to generate more ‘looks’. A 3D presentation makes a lot of sense to me because I think in 3D, see shapes and outcomes as images and rarely use writing which makes less sense to me. The third intervention took the form of an interview which was recorded. I taught myself how to get a transcript using digital software, but it was garbled, so I then listened to it a number of times starting and stopping to make quick bullet points to briefly show the outcome. My ‘transcript’ is the actual recording, which is far better than a written one because it allows the listener to appreciate the tone of the conversation, to hear the anecdotes and laughter and to allow the listener to more accurately make their own deductions. Next time I might see if it’s possible to ask a peer to video it!
This made me think how I could present the data I’d collected from the 3 interventions and decided that a video is a valid way of showing the outcomes effectively. So I set up an art installation in my garden from the responses which included the written questionnaires, mind-maps, a sari-length of feedback, key words from mind-maps onto plain white shirts as well as the collages and drapes from the shirt workshop.
A purely digital exhibition, email or digital presentation is easy to swipe away. It’s also less memorable.
One the other hand, a 3D exhibition or presentation stimulates more of our senses. It allows us more choices in how we interpret the information and makes it accessible to more people.
OVERALL REFLECTION – HOW CAN TECHNICIANS CROSS-POLLINATE THEIR WORKSHOPS?
Teaching wasn’t my background but I’ve always enjoyed mentoring.
Doing the PGCert has helped me see the tools I need to be a better educator, by identifying what I need to do to be more consistent in delivering workshops, so that I can review them every time and make sure they continue to be relevant and to improve them.
As technicians, we’re not required to give students formal feedback on their work, but my research for the PGCert has taught me how to give them informative feedback and to share it with the academic team.
Some of the reading for the PGCert has been tricky for me because of the academic language used in it. My way round this has been to use the read-aloud facility on a computer and to dictate to it. But this doesn’t always interpret my thought process correctly, so I’ve used the help available from the university, as well as asking my partner to make sure that what I’ve said is what I mean, by proof reading and checking my grammar. My own learning differences and being open with it, allows me to build confidence and engage with other neuro-divergent people.
What I realised as I came to the end of the project, is that I myself am cross-pollinated and that this is really useful when trying to explain what cross-pollination is. There a lot of people like me, who are first generation British born and are fully merged into more than one culture.
This means that I don’t need to choose one over the other, but it does help me to understand why international students might come to England to study and be part of such a diverse culture, which they might not be familiar with in their motherland. To me, social justice is crucial, so when cross-pollination is combined with genuine inclusivity, we are closer to achieving it.
Having colleagues from all levels participate in the process has given me insights from different perspectives and they have been generous with their time. Through the 3 interventions, other technicians as well as academics have talked about how they may use the method of cross-pollination in their teaching practice, whilst the dean is interested to see how this can be used throughout the university.
By attending a workshop, you hope to learn more than you thought you would. If you do, then that is a measure of its success. If you also enjoy it and can in some way share what you’ve learnt, that’s even better.
And that is exactly how I feel coming towards the end of doing my PGCert. I’ve learnt more than I ever anticipated, but even more important is that the processes and methodology of doing it will become part of the outcome. And the outcome is my own teaching practice.
The dean presented part of the sari workshop at an international conference in November 2024.
I’ve been asked by my manager to present the shirt workshop at The Technicians Conference in the summer of 2025.
I’ll be creating a series of new cross-pollination workshops for students where I’ll re-imagine the ‘western view’ of the existing base workshops for shirts, trousers, jackets, T-shirts. I’m starting with shirts where I can adapt the workshop presented to staff as a basis and include their input as part of my review and development.
What I’d also like to do is to create 45-minute micro workshops for any staff who wish to learn about using cross-pollination in their work.
It’s been a fantastic year for me doing this research project and I hope that, as some said in their feedback, that cross-pollination is ‘ A Keeper’.
On 18 December 2024 I conducted a 30 minute interview with Claudine Rousseau, Dean of School of Design and Technology, UAL, having previously sent the questions I hoped to discuss.
It was an open, friendly and slightly mashed up conversation which she had prepared for.
The transcript is in the form of a recording which I would appreciate you listening to.
Please see Participation form
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Here are the questions
What is your opinion on decolonisation
Where do you think the university stands regarding decolonisation
How would you feel about using the term cross pollination as educators
Do you feel using the term cross pollination will allow us to move away from using the word decolonisation
Would you mind tell me about your heritage
I understand that you used images from the sari workshop to do a presentation, can you tell me more about this and did you use the conversation of cross pollination or decolonisation.
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Key points which stuck in my mind after playing the interview back a few times
1. What is your opinion on decolonisation
Before I came back to education, it was a background word in industry
It’s moving my curiosity to move forward to understand what it means
2. Where do you think the university stands regarding decolonisation
She wasn’t too sure about this, as she has just returned from working in industry
3. How would you feel about using the term cross pollination as educators
How to make the shift to cross-pollination is a possibility.
4. Do you feel using the term cross pollination will allow us to move away from using the word decolonisation
This question generated the most discussion
Big statements start here and makes reality when taking it to the students and staff
It’s linking and delinking the historical perspective
It’s a softer term because a harder term puts people off
We never got slavery from our parents, it was in linear history
5. Would you mind tell me about your heritage
Claudine had researched her heritage and showed me her dna tracing to continents, something her parents might not have known
The lens you look through determines your view
6. I understand that you used images from the sari workshop to do a presentation, can you tell me more about this and did you use the conversation of cross pollination or decolonisation
Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE) 15-16 November 2024, Milan
This was a top level conference including the area of human creativity and softer shells of how we foster and nurture in technology
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Reflection on the interview
Claudine made me feel comfortable and we spoke on equal terms about our heritages as we’re both British born people of colour. It was amazing that she made the time for the meeting and spent time looking over the questions before over a weekend.
She’d also spent about 40 minutes at The Sari Workshop and I was thrilled that she referenced it at the conference she went to as well as showing images of it.
The loose structure of the conversation allowed us to find the destination a bit like how the sari and shirt workshops led to their outcomes and that destination turned out to be that she felt the concept of cross-pollination is something which could be taken forward.
What a result! I’ve hoped from the start that cross-pollinating workshops are something to really think about and to have the dean say that makes it worthwhile.
Whilst delivering BA workshops for the first 2 of my 7 years as a garment technician at LCF, I didn’t give much thought when delivering workshops through a western lens eg Jacket, Shirt, Trousers and T-shirt. Before this I spent nearly 30 years in industry designing, draping and pattern cutting as well as my own label, where colonisation never entered the conversation.
But since moving over to MA ( and especially during my PG Cert ) something in my head told me that this didn’t seem quite right and then it dawned on me. I’m British born of Indian heritage so part of me was missing and this is how many of our students might be feeling.
I don’t see that traditional workshops are enough in our teaching method at LCF and would like to suggest that a new scaffolding system based on cross-pollination will be more inclusive, make the teaching easier and give both students and teachers a vehicle to bring power to our voices.
When I looked in a printed dictionary (“Collins English Dictionary”, 1991) for the word ‘colonisation’, it wasn’t there! The closest word was ‘colonialism’ “the policy and practice of a power in extending control over weaker peoples or areas. Also called imperialism” and this led me to realise how deep we need to go to peel back the layers of history because this definition is only 35 years old.
Being born and living in a city of nearly 10 million people, it never occurred to me that anywhere else would be different. I knew I was Hindu and brown and that other people were different but it was only as I grew up that people started telling me that certain people were good or bad. I knew that mum had been called Paki and that we were made homeless one Christmas because the landlord didn’t like the smell of our food. But like mum, I ignored them and sometimes we did things to fit in – Like mum had to wear western clothes for work because a sari might catch in a machine and I wore a school uniform. This might be why colonialism has always been a way of life for me and why I’ve always seen things through different lenses without thinking about it.
It’s not only London though. My passion for travel has taken me to 28 countries – From Zanzibar to Peru, Aruba to Croatia as well as Israel to Cambodia. I’ve felt, smelt and tasted so many cultures at so many levels from a peasant’s cottage in Ecuador to the finest private beach in Oman.
I’m as likely to go to The Barbican as I am a temple. I’ll wear a kourta as easily as jeans or enjoy Yorkshire puddings as much as dahl. I’m effectively bi-cultural by nature and from birth which gives me a huge advantage in understanding the subject because I myself am cross-pollinated!
My grandparents came from India, they used to tell me the worst thing for them was when the British granted independence to India, is that they left behind a new boundary separating India to Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was devastating when people they knew as friends became enemies and civil war broke out through in India, they had lost a lot of friends, who they used to eat, worship and pray with. They used to say yes, we know the British tried to impose the way of life but some of it was good and it meant that the cast-system was finally broken.
Franz Falon’s Black Skin, White Masks has been fascinating and gave me lots of background context from so many perspectives. I dipped into other sources, but they didn’t fit into my chain of thought. Akinsete, (2023).
“In that same decade (1990s) that I discovered Fanon, I travelled to the USA and visited three historically Black universities and colleges: Moorhouse, Spellman, and the Interdenominational Theological Centre, all of these in Atlanta, Georgia. As you can imagine, it really blew my mind that I could visit institutes of higher learning that existed for Black students and were run predominantly by Black staff. It immediately occurred to me that the African American experience culminating in these prestigious institutions was partly about replacing the enslaved black skin, white mask with a progressive revolutionary black skin, black mask experience.”
Akinsete, p9 (2023). My History is in My Skin
This is a good example how the world has changed and obviously he’s experienced showed How he felt comfortable in his surroundings, but it will make me question that if we don’t have diversity through our education we can still be colonised by seeing things through one lens
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BACKGROUND – Decolonisation means giving political independence to a country that was previously a colony.
Decolonisation is a difficult subject for me. How far back in history do I go as someone who is being born in London and has a strong Indian heritage, which one do I choose – my British heritage or my Indian heritage, this is leaving me thinking that I’m creating a new boundary in my life, as my grandparents said to me these boundaries can destroy us. As we’ve seen with the rioting in the UK during 2024.
If it’s only with education we are talking about decolorization does that mean we have to remove most of our books in the libraries or, as educators we need to research into others heritage is to restock our libraries, I say this because when doing the Sari project, I could only find a few books on it
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BACKGROUND – Cross-pollination
Cross-pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigma of another flower by the action of wind, insects, etc.
Looking at the meaning of cross-pollination in various dictionaries led to similar explanations, except in The Merriam-Webster dictionary where the second sense definition is “cross-pollination of fantasy and realism” really brought to life what it means to me. ‘cross-pollination’ Merriam-Webster, 2024.
(picture of football shirt)
Here we learn how a black-skinned man of Afro-Caribbean heritage (Rotimi Akinsete) literally wears a shirt representing the colonising country.
“As soon as this [his] workshop is finished today, I’m going to take off this shirt and I’m going to be wearing this football shirt instead. In readiness for a tiny and somewhat important football match taking place this evening. Of course, the irony will not be lost on me that I will be donning the Three Lions replica football shirt representing as you can see, England, the so-called mother country and – one of a number of teams fronting several Black footballers who have to endure being booed by their own fans.
Representing the Motherland despite being enslaved, colonised and brutalised by the same Motherland in the not-too-distant past, and in the here and now. For me, Black Skin, White Masks isn’t just about individuals, it’s also about the relationship between nations.”
If we looked at this through the method of cross-pollination, it wouldn’t feel ironic, for him but more of his natural self, allowing him to have choices about his own identity – This is what I meant when I asked about how far back do we need to go.
We are teaching in the UK and we can’t always know all about the history of our students and through our workshops they have the chance to tell without being put on the spot.
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LOOKING FORWARD – Moving from decolonisation to cross-pollination
I see decolonisation as being complicated because if we take everything back to its original layer and remove history, we will forget what history has done to us.
Social justice has moved on and our workshops need to do the same. They need to evolve to reflect the diversity of students and staff. This diversity is more than heritage, it includes gender, neurodiversity, socio-economics, faith and origin.
However, there is still something to be learnt from the more usual definitions of pollination and here I remembered my trip to Galapagos and how Darwin discovered there that life evolves to adapt to its environment and left undisturbed becomes more refined. However, when mankind colonised the islands they brought rats with them which threatened to decimate the indigenous rat species. Sailors found fresh meat in the turtles and they too headed toward extinction. The clocks couldn’t be turned back on what had happened, the islands couldn’t be decolonised, but the impact could be mitigated through time.
And it’s the same in the way we teach our workshops – We can’t ignore colonisation, nor can we undo it, but we can peel back the layers of history, acknowledge what has taken place and see the world from an inclusive perspective and this is what I see the term ‘cross-pollination’ means.
Cross-pollination is a vehicle for free expression and inclusivity at every stage of our workshops from planning, implementation, participation through to outcomes. We can use the best bits, take into account the bad bits and create something which brings something new into being. I believe that we need this expression in our teaching because it is more representative of our need to provide a more positive and useful approach to only seeing the world through a western eye.
It stimulates alternative thinking through mixing sources chosen by both the students and the teaching team.
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Reference List
Akinsete, Rotimi. (2023). ‘My history is in my skin,’ Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks Interpretations, Art & Pedagogy, pp. 7-13. 20th June 2021 (online). University of Arts. (Accessed: September 2024 ) Available at Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, Interpretations, Art and Pedagogy.
Collins English Dictionary (London: Collins, 1991)
Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2024. (Accessed September 2024)
At the start of the course in January, it seemed simple enough to work through the units and keep a simple tick list of what I needed to do.
But when I looked at the unit brief in July, I realised that it was a lot more complicated and I didn’t want to forget anything, so I wrote down all the things I thought I needed to do. There were lots of them, so then I decided to do an Excel sheet like I use when I’m planning machinists’ hours for my students. This allowed me to check off what I did as well as anything new which cropped up.
I’m glad I did this because my students were heading towards their finals, and my teaching time becomes heavy at this time as they needs lots of extra help.
This is a picture of the Action Plan where the green text shows the docs I need to load and the file names are what the document is stored as on my pc.
The green boxes are done and yellow boxes show what I’ve started and am still working on. White box shows that I need to do it.
The Shirt Workshop is new and my second intervention.
Step 1 – Booking
Booking room Visual Studies 1315 at East Bank from 10.00 am to 2.00pm on Wednesday 11th December, allowing me one and a half hours to prepare and set up for an 11.30am start.
Step 2 – Theme
I wanted to encourage as many relevant people as possible to attend the workshop.
To do this I commissioned Museo-Design to create an original graphic and decided to include a light traditional Gujarati lunch to conclude the day and make it memorable.
In briefing the designer, Craig Yamey, I gave him 3 key words: White shirt (do you own a white shirt), hangers (what you don’t see), blossom tree (cross-pollination). He then used AI to present 4 suggestions to consider.
In the same way that a workshop gets the best outcome through collaboration, I worked with my partner whose background is design and printing, to create the actual invitation. His input was the layout and overall design of the invitation whilst mine was the specific wording. It was created using InDesign, so I learnt how to convert it to a jpeg to post it online.
Invitation
Step 4 – Posting
I posted it on Teams, Garment and Textile Forum on 18th November as well as emailing line managers (so they were aware if any of their staff wanted to attend) as well as academics to give everyone plenty of time to put it in their diary and to ask me any questions.
On the day of the workshop The 3 tasks – Writing, Collage, Draping
1 – The Writing Task
PowerPoint page
For the writing task, we started off with a mind-map to get each group thinking about the white shirt and I provided some questions merely as a guide.
PowerPoint page
On the front of the shirt, I asked them to take keywords from their mind-map and then write them here.
For the back of the shirt, I gave them a question to think about where the London College of Fashion originally stood in education, specifically thinking about where the word London stands in the global world for our students, what it means to us about colonisation and decolonisation.
On the right sleeve, I wanted the group to think about the working industrial docklands heritage of Stratford and how as a university we play a part in there by looking at how the borough has developed as an area where cross-pollination has naturally occurred through the influx of people over time.
On the left sleeve I really wanted the group to think about how, as educators, they could use the first three elements of this symbol of colonisation in order to create a method of cross-pollinating their own workshops. To encourage them to see through not only their lens, but the lenses of our diverse students, to accommodate their needs.
The draping task was taking the 2D collage with keywords and making it 3D.
By draping onto the existing shirt and keeping parts of it or removing areas, I was hoping that by combining the traditional and new elements from tasks 1 and 2, it would allow the cross-pollination to take form naturally.
All of the participants completed the questionnaire at the end of the workshop – I had paper copies at hand because I reckoned that they’d find it difficult to refuse a personal request rather than an email later, especially as lunch was provided and ready laid out!
The 12 questions were in two formats: Tick boxes (8) and written feedback (4)
Within the written feedback the participants are labelled A – K and for each of the questions, A is the same student, B is the same student etc – This allows me to see if there are any patterns for them. The written feedback is verbatim to reflect any diversity of the respondents and to maintain accuracy.
For clarity and analysis, the original documents were either created in Excel or in Word with images, but they do not transfer easily into the blog and so have been loaded separately as images.
Each extract below is a summary taken from the questionnaire, with the outcomes shown with grey shading across from the heading.
The main outcome is highlighted with a black box
Section 1
1 – Most of the participants covered colonisation in their own workshops to some extent which is positive, but only 1 always talks about it.
2 – More so than the teaching staff, which shows that we need to recognise the importance and respond accordingly
3 – The spread of responses suggests that suitable materials might be supplied to all teaching staff for continuity. By having the materials readily available will also mean that more staff will use them.
4 – ‘Sometimes’ is again the prevalent reply, so again it needs to be clarified at the outset.
Section 2
It’s gratifying that everyone found value in the tasks and the written feedback clarifies this further, so having varied tasks appears to be as inclusive as I had intended.
Section 3
The purpose of this workshop was to establish if moving away from solely addressing decolonisation, to include cross-pollination has potential as a way forward in our workshops. It would have appear to have succeeded, which going forward, can be further researched and implemented.
Written feedback comprised 4 questions I have highlighted what the key themes are for me and gathered them together as a reflection after each question, which also shows how I collected the data. Q8 – From this workshop, what can you take back and apply to your teaching practice?
A – The speed of the tasks and the way they changed over kept the process dynamic. The action of standing and doing helped with my engagement in the task. I wish to find ways to include more input from students. To hear more of their voices.
B – I do not deliver workshops. However really enjoyed the safe space, not a lecture, thought provoking and fun. Poignant questions where asked and were not expected to have answer. Students would think after.
C – Some ideas about using resources + collaging techniques to teach students about decolonisation or the cross-pollination of ideas.
D- Yes an open mind to decolonisation and how useful it would be in my workshops. Thank you very much Navin!
E – Conversation and communication is key to helping people understand crosspollination.
F – It was a very interesting take on a ‘staple’ garment. The tasks allowed us to not think too literally about a shirt which allowed us to be more creative. By making us keep 1/3 made us focus on the identifiable aspects which then gave us free reign to change everything else. The tasks are essential to that and that is what I will be taking from this.
G – The fun and relaxedness.
H – I think it is a good chance to work as a group, discussing everyone’s thought and see what other people will react to problem. I will encourage students have more peer critic or just chat as group to give their opinion in the future workshop.
J – Maybe that the conversation is moving into a new phase/ideas. Moving from hand wringing and worry to celebration
K – Rapid nature of the tasks – action-related.
The responses here demonstrate clearly how involved everyone was or they wouldn’t have expressed themselves so well. For me the key response is F as it summarises where we can go with the method of the workshop.
By introducing varied and inclusive tasks at a swift pace it helped maintain the momentum and keep the interest going. A tight 90 minutes shows that if there is a carefully framed time limit, we aim to complete whereas if it goes on too long, we can wander and lose the sharpness of the experience.
Inclusivity is crucial to me personally and everyone in the groups joined in all the tasks, working to their strengths as well as discovering new ways of working through each other. The reason for it being important to me is that due to my dyslexia I’ve been excluded from so much in my early education, but having support from university disability support and my partner has allowed me to take on this PG Cert.
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Q9 – How do you feel about using the term cross-pollination vs decolonisation?
A – I really like this aspect A much more positive uplifting term.
B – I really like how it was discussed and referred and compared to decolonisation. Think of it as a positive phrase and welcoming. Like it.
C – Interesting and good idea.
D – I’m fine with the terms
E – It is a more welcoming term. Makes it easier to talk about.
F – It feels more positive and therefore creative. It feels like a good change.
G – LOVE the term cross-pollination it’s a keeper
H – I would say it is very strange to me at the first time to these vocabulary
J – I feel it might open the conversation more.
K – I think decolonisation is important because we have to address power relations.
Only one person held on to the term decolonisation rather than looking at how a new approach might be useful in teaching. The others all felt comfortable using ‘cross-pollination’ and that it has the potential to encourage discussion as it’s a softer term which opens possibilities. From these responses it is G which stands out. And of course that’s what I hoped to see.
Q10 – What more can we take from the term cross-pollination into our teaching practice?
A – We are trying to get our students to grow as people and practitioner. This term helps them to understand what there course is trying to {inculate} inculcate
B – Encouragement to think differently to appreciate differences of cultural experience and representation and feel confident to merge them, breaking down barriers.
C – Food for thought – designing interesting workshops to deliver to students.
D – That its all ways good practice to leave an open mind
E – We can use it to help students understand why these conversations are important and relevant
F – This gives our students more freedom to be creative and make changes to the curriculum
G – Mix it up, get the discussion going a bit more {routinally}.routinely
H – Just be open to hear others thought. And open the mind to all possibilities.
J – That there is a wealth of knowledge out there to use.
K – I also like cross-pollination because it gives agency
The responses suggest that the term cross-pollination immediately means something. It looks like they’ve grasped it and already are able to see how it can be integrated into their workshops immediately as a method and not a big change. The person who did not specifically answer the previous question has said here that the term ‘has agency’, so that’s good. Respondent B summarises how we can take the term into our teaching practice –‘think differently’, ‘appreciate’, ‘merge’ as that what it’s all about.
Q12 – Is there anything else you’s like to say about this workshop ?
A – Realy well organized. Great preparation. Good timely direction of our thinking. Good group size. Interesting.
B – Really enjoyable and thought provoking. Thank you Navin.
C – Thank you for delivering this workshop and fostering new ideas.
D – Great workshop!
E – Really interesting and engaging. Opened up interesting conversations and creativity
F – This was so enjoyable!! The history at the start was very informative and a great set up to the session. It was very thought out and planned to get the best out of us!
G – You did a very thorough job, thought of and provided everything. Mos enlightening and enjoyable.
H – Thanks for the opportunity.
J – [blank]
K – [blank]
A kind and positive outcome from everyone, which is what you would expect and hope for from colleagues. It would be unusual to see any negativity but what I’ll take from the comments is that: ‘prepared’, ‘organised’, ‘timely’, ‘enjoyable’, ‘thorough’. If these words had not been used, it would have implied that something was missing.
In the Sari Workshop I was re-evaluating one of my own cross-pollination workshops to students where their own heritage became relevant.
To date, workshops have been presented through a lens of western garments – Shirts, jackets, trousers etc, so the next step was to see how, by using a similar method, teaching staff could be taught how to introduce cross-pollination into their own workshops by taking one of those garments. The Shirt.
The shirt has evolved throughout history and in many forms around the world. The first recorded example of a shirt as we know it comes from Egypt c3500bce, where the climate and agricultural techniques allowed cotton to grow easily. The V&A Museum, (2018). The Roman Empire some 3500 years later, with its elaborate forms of dress, took the tunic as a statement of power and position, whilst in China the Shenyi with its cross-over lapels became the stylistic form in Korea and Japan too Young man wearing Shenyi (date unknown). These were all trading societies in the so called civilised world, whereas in Africa tribal dress evolved quite separately using materials available more locally amongst the 54 nations. Racinet, The Complete Costume History (1876- 1888). and Peru there are a number of recognisable shirts / tunics dating back 500 years The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ‘Shirt’ 1460-1540 (date unknown).
I came across a book recommendation which showed and demonstrated the evolution of the white shirt through garment construction and pattern cutting. witness2fashion, 2015. What I found fascinating is that it shows zero waste pattern cutting in its earliest form as cloth was so expensive. “You must cut your coat to fit your cloth.”
Colonisation had a huge impact on nations where the colonisers imposed their beliefs and values on the colonised, taking away tradition and introducing formal attire – Especially the white shirt.
But it was not until the early 1800s through to the late 1900s that the white shirt evolved into what is the ‘uniform’ of today all over the world. Rainer, Beau Brummel (1967).
We tend not to acknowledge this in our workshops and so it is with this background, I developed The Shirt Workshop, which can be seen in the PowerPoint presentation.
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Observing and Reviewing the workshop
As with all of my workshops, I carefully prepared, planned and rehearsed, but this time it was for my peers who I knew would be on the ball, so it was especially important to show, by example, every aspect of presentation and participation. I wanted them all to embrace the concept of cross-pollination by working it out for themselves rather than being told.
In the PowerPoint presentation at the beginning, I gave an outline of the day, including breaks. After a brief introduction to the shirt and its historical evolution, there were 3 tasks with time for reflection and lunch at the end.
Within any group there is diversity – Neuro, cultural, sensory and gender and so to be inclusive each of the three tasks allowed people to work to their strengths.
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The Three Tasks
Task 1 – Writing (good for many but awful for dyslexics like me).
Sowing the seed
Before starting any task, you need to plan. With seeds, you read the packet to see what you’re growing, the conditions it needs, the temperatures and the amount of water, the soil type it grows best in. In other words, it’s origins.
When the ancient Egyptians were creating smocks, they needed the right materials for it and grew what they knew best. V&A Museum, (2018). By applying this technique to a workshop you’re creating an ambiance, setting the scene and by posing open questions as a guide, you’re starting the thinking process.
By asking each group to create a mind map of their thinking, the members of the group were able to participate equally and freely leading to taking key elements and writing them on an actual white shirt.
The guide-questions are written very carefully so that they can be interpreted however you want, to stimulate without determining.
Carrying on the analogy of growing from a seed, hybridisation leads to similar though indeterminate outcomes and in the case of shirts, the easiest example is in the expressions white collar, blue collar and pink collar. Hall Geisler, Why Do We Say White Collar and Blue Collar? (2024). Lubrano, Limbo: Blue collar roots, white collar dreams (2005). The Latin name of plants gives us clues of their origin, so when we consider this in terms of garments and apply it to cross-pollination, we are acknowledging and incorporating where it has come from. BBC Science Focus Magazine, Shead, (date unknown) “The scientific naming system for animals and plants was systematised by the 18th-century Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné, better known as Carl Linnaeus. He created the hierarchical system of grouping animals and plants and used Latin and Greek names for the groups because these were the international languages of science at the time. Nowadays, non-Latin parts are sometimes used as well (Denversaurus, for instance), but the whole name tends to be Latinised for consistency and to avoid accusations of national bias”
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Reflection on Task 1:
Reading the instructions on a seed packet
Each of the two groups produced a different mind-map and I didn’t track which group wrote what, nor who was in each group. I did this to maintain confidentiality and because there was nothing to be gained for the purpose of this research.
The first group used the A3 sheet portrait, was a single colour and appeared to be written by the same hand with lines drawn from a circled ‘white shirt’ and is quite wordy.
The second group used the sheet landscape with a squiggly bubble around ‘The writing task’ in 3 colours, in different hands with lots of single words.
Messy and formal were words common to both as well as a theme relating to past memories / specific periods of time.
So their approach was different, but I think the method worked because each group was able to use what they did to move on to the second task. This is important because it might show that a mind-map start to a workshop can be applied to other specialist areas.
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Task 2 Collaging ( useful for those who think and people who are spatially aware or who like to organise a task).
Nurturing the seedling
Here we are looking at nature vs nurture, (appropriation vs appreciation) that is what is in our dna and the influences around us.
For this task a member of each group lay on a large sheet of paper and an outline of their torso was drawn ready for collaging to begin. The only limitation was that one third should remain empty and I didn’t explain why, but the reason was to retain some essential elements of the origin and to see what we remember of the garment or what stands out.
Both groups retained key elements like a collar or cuff. The remainder of the outline was blank empty space for unrestricted collaging to leave open space for what we might achieve.
Using the seed metaphor, collaging allows the seed to grow naturally, not to be forced. It’s a natural process which relies on nutrients and conditions. In a workshop setting it allows people to do (whereas task one needed thinking) rather than think. It is a sensory experience of starting to touch, feel and start a connection.
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Reflection on Task 2:
Each group was presented with identical items then worked at a similar pace. Each group also started with something familiar to everyone and that is the face, which was the starting point for their identity of the image they were creating. This is the same for when we’re creating a workshop, we’re identifying the learning outcome.
In a pattern making workshop there is a sequence to assembling the pieces and here each group followed a similar process – They gathered the elements which represented what they’d noted on their shirts and using their hands this time, started clipping, tearing and sticking without knowing exactly what the outcome would be. The scale of the elements varied, which might suggest what was at the forefront of their minds, it might be that someone wanted to give emphasis without saying it out loud and an example might be that they felt the need to put their heritage to the front. But we don’t know for sure which is the beauty of collaging, especially as a timed task where there’s no time for “perfection (which) is the paralysis of the creativity that you really wanna explore” . Metaferia, (2023). She goes on to suggest that the method becomes part of the outcome with the example of glue not sticking so part of a dress might lift, revealing what lies beneath it. Please watch the film, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUOMhVwnQ98
It a was lively and fun session which kept the interest up and because it was a timed task, there wasn’t time to overthink it or get bored which is important if there is to be an end-point which they could use to go to the next task. The speed at which a collaging task takes place can be useful if you reach a creative block which might otherwise stop you from reaching that end point.
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Task 3Draping (for some this is incredibly difficult).
Enjoying the fruits of your labour
Here it was time to take the thinking and creating tasks and to make them happen.
As a result of sowing and nurturing, what comes out of it and each group created a different, though relevant outcome. They were relevant because they achieved an outcome clearly showing cross-pollination through the process of the tasks as well as enjoying the making processes themselves.
Pollinators move around and gather then distribute to create a new seed with the hand of nature (wind) to move it on to places we might (not) see to form something new and potentially beneficial. In the plant world this might be a drought resistant vegetable.
Sometimes it’s only by reflection we can see what we’ve created and how we came about it.
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Reflection on Task 3:
This is where it all came together and turned out to be better than I had hoped for. Better because the participants not only created a finished piece of cross-pollination which achieved the objective, but because the process of 3 tasks led them there in unexpected ways.
What I hadn’t expected, and was thrilled by, was that they all didn’t limit themselves to the items provided – They found other bits and pieces around the studio like pattern paper and fabrics to scrunch up and utilise as well as using different technical skill like pleating. The groups also combined historical references with technical processes
Cross-pollination is all about seeing an object through different lenses and how each lens perceives it. Historically this will bring about different reactions (from the coloniser to the colonised) but also the layers between them – Watching the film ‘A United Kingdom’. (2016) led me to researching the fashion of local men in 1960s Bechuanaland, a former protectorate of Great Britain, now called Botswana and it is fascinating to see how they had adopted western jackets, ties and hats as everyday attire
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King Khama III of the Bamangwato people of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), in his throne. 1920
Wearing a hat, jacket, waistcoat and shirt
The Three Dikgosi Monument is a bronze sculpture located in the Central Business District of Gaborone, Botswana. The statues depict three dikgosi (tribal chiefs): Khama III of the Bangwato, Sebele I of the Bakwena, and Bathoen I of the Bangwaketse.
Statue to honour the three traditional Chiefs Khama Sebele and Bathoen credited with Bechuanaland independence
The monument in Gaborone of 3 chiefs Khama III Sebele I and Bathoen I responsible for securing the independence of Botswana shows them dressed in this style and note that virtually the tourists are also wear shirts.
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The band at Moeng College, Bechuanaland Protectorate 1954
Wearing shirts, jackets and ties – Were they choosing to wear them, were they emulating western style or were they indoctrinated into wear?
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By splitting everyone into groups, not only could they combine their strengths but get help if needed. From my perspective as researcher and observer it allowed me see if the process actually led to cross-pollinated garments. Which it did.
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Reference list
(Please note that any references for teaching are the same as in the Sari Workshop)
A United Kingdom. 2016. Directed by Amma Asante. Fox Searchlight Pictures, BBC Films, British Film Institute, Ingenious Media, Pathé.
The Sari Workshop is my first intervention, which I’m doing with the students. I have run this workshop last year for the first time but this year I will now be seeing it through the lens of the PGCert process and how it can help me plan and prepare workshops better. One week before the workshop I verbally let the students who are involved in this workshop know that I am doing a research project and this workshop will be a part of it. If they wish to take part with the research aspect on the day I will give them a UAL Participation Consent form to sign, if they choose not to participate in my research they are still welcome to join in the workshop as it has been built in to the curriculum.
Step 2
In preparation for this workshop, I had e-mailed the students the following.
Tuesday 29th October … Sari technical Workshop
All day – Both A&B groups are together.
Please arrive in studio EB1318 by 10.00am
This is a new and fun workshop which I’ve have developed for you, and I am sure you`ll enjoy it lots!
Please bring the following items with you
Your sewing equipment to include a box of pins, sewing pins and thread.
Drawing equipment
The actual archetype research garment and/or your images from the rapid-fire project on archetype, into which you are looking.
Think of a song which helps you when you are creating and bring it in on a device.
There is a dress code for this workshop! A plain shirt or T-shirt and a plain pair of trousers or jeans.
Step 3
I am planning to use a PowerPoint presentation to show the days workshop which includes when students will have breaks. There are 3 tasks that we are going to work through in the workshop: task 1 how to drape a sari by using traditional methods, task 2 how to drape a sari over an object, task 3 how to cross pollinate heritage garment (the sari) and use a western garment to create a new look.
Step 4
Observing and collected data.
I have put together four questions for students to reflect from the task.
Q 1: -Task 1 how did you feel when draping the sari around yourself
Q 2: -Task 2 how did you feel the music influence you, when draping the sari over an object by not thinking of the heritage of sari.
Q 3: -Task 3 How can you bring this method into your work/line-up.
Q 4: – Is there any other thought process you would like to comment on
I am using a 6-metre length calico to represent a length of sari, so students can draw or write on to give me feedback.
I will be taking images, videos, and recordings of their work throughout the day, which will be safely secured on OneDrive.
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On the Day of the Workshop
Task 1
Drape on yourself, using one of the three illustrations or one of your own
Picture 01
Picture 02
Task2
Drape over objects or constructions on the mannequin which then can be removed For drapes, using folding and pleating methods
Picture 03
Picture 04
Picture 05
Video Balloon Popping
Picture 06
Picture 07
Task 3
Take your sari drape, then from your garment archetype and / or collage from the rapid- fire project, select part of it to create a whole new garment
This new garment must clearly show cross-pollination
Firstly, re-collage using both images
Secondly, draw specific areas of the garment on pattern paper to show how you have merged the 2 cultures (referred to as cross-pollination)
By using a 6-metre length calico to represent a sari length so students can draw or write on it to give their feedback, I felt this was a good way of collecting data because it allowed them to be more relaxed in the feedback approach in a creative way. My workshops are practical and students highly creative, so it seemed sensible to extend this into gathering open and honest responses.
Sometimes questionnaires can be very formal for students to fill out, meaning that their responses maybe different, and I wanted it to capture the mood of the workshop by allowing free reign over the way feedback was expressed. This is valuable because it doesn’t rely on the written word and is therefore more inclusive in a highly creative environment.
As I wasn’t convinced that having a formal questionnaire in this environment was going to validate the outcomes, I wanted to use a less formal method to give context as well as collect data as Kara (2015, p.13) says, “some social science researchers still value the concept of objectivity …in some contexts this is impossible to achieve” examples included poverty and mortality.
As Kara (2015, p.45) says [quoting (Gomex, Puigvert and Flecha 2011:239) ] “Critical Communicative Methodology (CCM) is a particularly ethical type of participatory mixed-method research”…(and)…”everyone has the right to participate in intellectual discussion whether or not they are ‘an intellectual’ or can speak intellectual language” This makes a lot of sense to me both as a teacher and student who is dyslexic and is reflected in getting intelligible data for me to disseminate. They go on to say “to ensure full involvement throughout the research process” and “Data is gathered using communicative methods”… “and involve the researcher sharing their knowledge”
Reference List
Kara, H. (2015). Creative research methods in the social sciences: a practical guide, Polity Press.
The hands that Create – All the students took turns laying their hands on the cloth to show that a workshop is not all about the educator, so removing the hierarchical system and of course cross pollinating !
Picture 12
Sari The Hands that Create
All the students took turns laying their hands on the cloth to show that a workshop is not all about the educator, so removing the hierarchical system and of course cross-pollinating.
In my presentation I talked about how a sari is a piece of cloth, until the hands of the weaver weave it, the embroiderers embroider, the block printers print and the dyers dye the fabric. It is this which gives great value to the sari, so we must always remind ourselves, that we are not the only creators in the make process, but to acknowledge everyone who’s taking part in the process. Similarly the students became part of the workshop through their input onto the calico.
Research by (Kimberly D. Elsbach, Brooke Brown-Saracino and Francis J. Flynn, October 2015) shows the importance of each person within a creative process having an input. “Some people in creative roles seem immune to others’ input. But this apparent arrogance is not actually what makes them tick. Their resistance may have less to do with size of ego than with sense of identity. A subset of creative professionals identify as “artists,” meaning they value three things: having a signature creative style so that their work bears a unique stamp; remaining involved in the execution of creative concepts rather than handing them off; and succeeding on non-commercial terms. The authors suggest four tactics for working with artists:
1. Offer broad suggestions.
Artists may see specific, fully formed ideas as attempts to wrest creative control. Plant just the seed of a concept, and you inspire continued engagement.
2. Temper your enthusiasm.
Don’t act too invested in your own ideas. A dispassionate demeanour works better with artists.
3. Delay decision making.
Give artists ample time to consider your suggestions on their merits.
4. Show respect and like-mindedness.
Acknowledging an artist’s prior thinking and work reassures him or her that your ideas are not off base.”
The end part of the sari is called Pallu, which is lavishly designed and warn over the shoulder, it displays the richness of the artisan. As social justice is important to us as educators, I decided that this part of the ’sari’ was where the students could show the richness of their heritage and introducing cross pollination into workshops as a way of empowering and including everyone.
Doing this will show us the diverse culture which students come from at the university and how we can incorporate this into our workshops in the form of participation. It also allows those who express themselves visually rather than through the written word, to feel included ie participants whose first language might not be English.
Q 1: Task 1 how did you feel when draping the sari around yourself
Q1
Q 2: Task 2 how did you feel the music influence you, when draping the sari over an object by not thinking of the heritage of sari.
Q2
Q 3: Task 3 How can you bring this method into your work/line-up.
Q3
Q 4: Is there any other thought process you would like to comment on
Q4
SARI Answering the 4 Questions
Q1 – HOW DID YOU FEEL DRAPING THE SARI AROUND YOURSELF?
Reflection:
When we see people from another culture, in Japan for example, we don’t always relate to how the ceremony of dressing is important and the way we dress creates a sense of belonging as well as a state of mind going out or working. As Tast, (2016) demonstrates in Kimono and the Tea Ceremony, (it) “was an incredible experience. It took three women working actively in order to dress me in the kimono. Putting on a kimono is a long and very detailed process”
If a technician was to say “how would you feel wearing a sari” as a written question or as a question for discussion, the outcome would be very different from actually doing it. This is reflected in The Harvard Business Review by Belmont, (April 2009) when they say “What he or she was pointing out is that it is a forum that caters to the ‘talkers’. Taken further you could ask: What about the ‘doers’ – those who produce great work, and let it speak for itself? Do we all need to broadcast our work?” This makes me think that technicians don’t always get recognised at the university because they are ‘doers’ and their workshops because we are teaching soft skills which are no less important.
So the job of the technician is to create a safe space in which students can explore their own possibilities and then freely express their outcomes as a guide to the teacher.
As a technician, the scaffolding of our workshops can make it seem like a follow-me process, but the learning outcomes have more depth. It is only the outcomes which tell the story ie what has been created as a result. Looking at the comments, you can see how involved the participants are and how effective the method is.
Data collection key words:
Security Understanding Shaping Tricky to handle Feeling
Application for future workshop:
You can take this method and apply it to any culture, heritage or tribe.
Literal feedback from the calico length:
Amazing
Fun
Love it
Smooth
Cannot imagine before
Free!
Feeling of being wrapped around
It was tricky to handle big length drapes. Opened more ideas
Easy to tie around
Felt this sense of belonging and protection in that it made me feel connected to other cultures besides my own
Interesting to get to know others cultures drapes
Gives me lots of inspiration. Love it!
Funny. Easy to translate my words into fashion language
Its very fresh feeling, very interesting. It can all around to wrapping the body
It was really a good time to feel the shape around my own body
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Q2 – HOW DID YOU FEEL THE MUSIC INFLUENCE YOU WHEN DRAPING THE SARI OVER AN OBJECT, BY NOT THINKING OF THE HERITAGE OF THE SARI?
Reflection:
I introduced the idea of music into the draping task because each person would have chosen something they relate to and feel familiar with, taking us away from the surrounding space into one of safety. “focused work thrives in a quiet setting, whereas collaborative tasks may benefit from both quiet and loud periods. Thus it is imperative to investigate how a quiet work environment can support or hinder employees across various types of work”. Kalmanovich-Cohen, H. and Stanton, S.J. (2024.) ‘Leveraging quiet: The power of choosing your workspace’
Reviewing the comments and listening to anecdotal feedback this worked well because students seemed to be totally immersed in the task without distraction.
By removing the heritage of a garment ie the sari, it became the point at which cross-pollination began. When planting something to grow we need to put it in the soil and start nurturing it.
Data collection key words:
Allow senses Without thinking Object Learning Explore emotions Healing
Application for future workshop:
Consider if this might be a useful technique for tasks which need concentration, focus or creativity.
Literal feedback from the calico length:
Using ballon shape was fun
Healing
Dramatic
Natural dancing
The music allowed me into my creative space. It made me feel very intune with my fabric and process
Thinking about words. Using it as an emotion to deepen
Good way to find more development in design
Gives a good atmosphere and more feeling on making without thinking about other things
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Q3 – HOW CAN YOU BRING THIS METHOD INTO YOUR WORK / LINE UP?
Reflection:
As a technician this has opened my mind to creating new challenges for both myself and students. It has also inspired me to look at other methods of construction and make in other cultures like Tast, (2016) demonstrates in Kimono and the Tea Ceremony when she goes on explain that “The kimono was constructed on me is multiple layers, with pieces of plastic, cardboard and even towels being placed within the fabric to create the desired shape and to keep the kimono in place”. From this, I reflect back to teaching during covid times showing students how they can use low cost materials, like balloons, or the things in recycle bins to create new line-ups.
Sometimes we don’t always review our workshops, but this method of participation means I can’t not think about it because it is so interesting. It’s a more inclusive method of data collection from students whose first language is not English and for neuro-diverse students (and teachers), rather than using a tick-box approach.
As we can see from the outcome here, I have simply provided a scaffold / structure, but it is the students themselves who have determined how workshops can develop. This is the true voice of social justice because it is the students who lead the process and I become the facilitator to progress.
Data collection key words:
Diverse layers Objects relating to heritage See through students lens Diverse architypes Realise what cross-pollination is
Application for future workshop:
Student outcomes determine the future evolution of the workshop rather than our own perception.
Literal feedback from the calico length:
How layers cover each other
Introduce more draping
Maybe research into your own heritage and what artifacts we can use
Can bring this method into my work by being more free and expressive with my line up that will allow me to explore more shapes and techniques
Originally blend architypes into drape
Combine my cultural heritage , like what my parents are wearing and translate them into what I’ve been seeing people wearing in foreign countries
Q4 – IS THERE ANY OTHER THOUGHT PROCESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON?
Reflection:
Through the feedback, the outcome is that cross-pollination is actually inherent in our DNA because students are not only honest “No” but use their own vocabulary “Mobin”, which has many meanings and there is no consistent definition of what it means or where it comes from.
The use of language can reflect our origins and has developed over many centuries as seen with Bragg, (2003) ‘The Adventures of the English’, which can be summarised as the book is like an adventure story and covers the history of the language from 1600 years ago. This is presented not only as a book, but as a television series which makes it accessible to me. Please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1XQx9pGGd0
This makes us think about where the English language comes from how we use words and how they can mean different things to different people in different countries. So language is cross-pollinated by itself and continues to do so.
The key piece from this is “you find it all clicks through the process”, which shows that it works.
Data collection key words:
No Mobin Clear agenda Objects Clicks
Application for future workshop:
Being sensitive to the words we use and the impact upon those hearing them.
Literal feedback from the calico length:
No
With wind flying
Draping with more different objects
Connect and trust with my Mobin
I enjoyed the timings of the process and the stages to open your thinking
When you feel you haven’t got it, you find it all clicks through the process
Bragg, M. (2003). The Adventure of English: The biography of a language, Hodder and Stoughton.
Kalmanovich-Cohen, H. and Stanton, S.J. (2024.) ‘Leveraging quiet: The power of choosing your workspace,’ Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 17(3), pp. 371–374. doi:10.1017/iop.2024.23. (Accessed: October 2024)
The Adventure of English, episode 1 Birth of a language, 2002 [Documentary: TV mini-series], Directed by Robert Bee, David Thomas. London, London Weekend Television (LWT). Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1XQx9pGGd0
As technicians we often deliver workshops year after year, but not always make time to reevaluate them and this is something I am looking at.
Moving forward from the intervention, within the inclusive practice unit, I did a survey with technicians on how they acknowledged diversity in their teaching practice.
I wanted to bring this knowledge forward in reevaluating the sari workshop with a series of questions to students about different aspects of the actual workshop.
There are 28 students on the MA WW course and all 28 attended, agreeing to participate and signed the form too.
Please see participation form
Observing and Reviewing the workshop
For the workshop I had previously planned out the timings for the day. In the PowerPoint presentation at the beginning, I gave an outline of the day, including breaks. After a brief introduction to the sari, there were 3 tasks and time for reflection at the end.
The workshop was due to start at 10:00 AM and finish at 4:30 PM, but on the day the university had a fire drill in the morning before the workshop was going to start. That meant that the workshop did not start until 10:30 AM, meaning that I had to re-plan the day’s workshop. As technicians, we are often used to this when things disrupt workshops, so by reducing the planned time on my PowerPoint presentation and the 3 tasks, this did not affect the finishing time and the students outcome.
At East Bank, I am based on the 13th floor and am aware that there is an assembly point for anyone needing extra assistance. During induction, students are advised to register if they fall into this category and on the day technicians are not responsible for assisting them to leave or return to the building. However I personally feel that whilst it’s not my responsibility, that participants safely exit the studio we are in. Hostetter et al (2024) highlighted the need to be aware of this in the Journal of Building Engineering when considering “Exit choice and pre-movement times differ from those of non-disabled students”
The students were all engaged with the PowerPoint presentation, they came to understand how important including their heritage is to their projects on the MA.
This is something that we promote on the course, as is it allows them to decolonise the outcomes. When starting the first task of draping a sari on themselves, I noted that some students felt slightly uncomfortable as it wasn’t their culture or their sexuality in dress, but by me draping on myself as a male, allowed students to be more relaxed about this and the studio environment being a safe space for them to experiment.
We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team at UAL, which collaborates with all areas of the University.
The team helps embed EDI:
Through providing training, advice and support.
Working towards accreditations, key initiatives and events.
Ensure that all operations within the University are in line with the Equality Act 2010.
The team’s ambition is to ensure EDI is at the core of working, teaching and learning, so that all members of UAL are empowered to reach their full potential.
Task 2 was about bringing other objects to our teaching practice and how it allows the students to look through a different lens. I had chosen balloons for them, something that I had learned in covid time, when students had limited resources to work with and the cost of items, as we were asking students to buy for their studies. As a university we need to respect diversity through students’ budgets when teaching. This is important and UAL explains this on the website (https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/fees-and-funding/study-costs)
Course-specific materials and tools
Materials costs for your course or compulsory field trips will vary depending on the materials and techniques you use.
If your course requires specific equipment or materials, you’ll receive a detailed kit list before the start of your course. Remember, you may not need to buy everything on the list. We aim to keep costs as low as possible and you may be able to borrow some things from your College.
You can reduce the cost of materials by:
Using our Re-Use units to source anything from hard sheet materials to stationery, paints, adhesives and tools.
Visiting the SWAP SHOP at Central Saint Martins. You can find unwanted materials such as fabrics, wood, screws, electronics and more.
Experimenting first with a small amount of media or materials you’re unsure about.
The number of students with disability enrolled in tertiary education has increased significantly in the last decade. This has prompted a move to make learning and teaching more accessible to all students. Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, can be used as a framework to guide tertiary educators in the planning and delivery of their courses. The effective implementation of UDL allows all students to access course materials, removing the need for some of them to actively seek support and disclose their disabilities. A rapid review was conducted to locate both theory and evidence to support the use of UDL at the tertiary level, as well as to seek guidance for its effective implementation. A total of 52 articles were included in the study and annotation was used for data extraction. Results indicated that UDL is well supported by theory, and studies revealed high satisfaction rates for UDL for both students and instructors
When draping the sari in this part, I had asked students to bring a song which allows them to create, as a way in which it could remove the heritage of the sari by seeing it as a piece of cloth. The students were very engaged with this part of the task, there was a lot of laughter happening in the studios when students were blowing up the balloons and as we see in the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 2020) (https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/conaplin-20/125956044)
Funny memes, circulating on the internet, are easily accessible media to produce laughter in any setting, including teaching-learning setting. The laughter resulted can be crucial to tackle barriers of communication for educational purposes. This paper is aimed at revealing EFL learners’ perception of funny memes taken from 9GAG Apps used during teaching-learning session in EFL context. It is also set to seek the influence of humor in building learners’ engagement in classroom activities. This qualitative research employs questionnaire and observation as the instruments to collect the data from 30 adults EFL learners. These EFL learners have multi-background (gender, intelligence level, and social) which is beneficial to the objectivity of the perception. The results revealed that the majority of EFL learners believed that humor could cheer them during teaching-learning session of English and make them less stressful. Humor also assists to build a better chemistry between teacher and EFL learners; making them remember and understand the lesson better. The last, it also encourages EFL learners to be more actively involved in the classroom activities. Nevertheless, some constraints arise during the application of humor taken from 9GAG. English teacher needs to understand the characteristics of learners and their interests prior to implementing this pedagogical technique. Due to the nature of humor that is segmented, the right humorous material would be more likely acceptable, and it would cause emotional and psychological impact that can develop EFL learners’ learning ability.
It created a play like atmosphere in the studio, then silence came across the studio while students were listening to the music, allowing their hands to create. The final part was bursting the balloons creating loud noise throughout the studio space, Reflecting on this made me realise, I should let the students know in my presentation that the noise level will increase and if they felt they needed it to be away from this that is ok. Going forward I will continue to list the items used in the workshops and suggest to students that if they have any concerns or phobias, that they contact me in the strictest confidence before so that those concerns can be addressed privately, kindly and in line with UAL guidelines. I was reminded of this because my partner cannot bear to touch foam rubber, though a more extreme example would be if a student has a phobia about balloons (globophobia) it “can also cause crises” and advice is available at (https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/treatment/)
The sari workshop uses communal space within the university and we need to be aware of this, so it’s important that there is a balance between noise (popping ballons) and silence (draping with music on headphones). Noise can potentially have an impact on non-participating students and should therefore be considered and announced in advance and in these spaces, as I read in Noise pollution and human cognition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence Thompson et al, (2022) (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021005304) “The evidence so far suggests that noise exposure is associated with cognition, but more good quality research using standardised methodology is required to corroborate these results and to allow for precise risk estimation by larger meta-analyses.”
Task 3 was when I wanted them to think about cross-pollination so I had asked students to bring a western garment of their choice to the workshop, to see how they could cross-pollinate it with the drape they had created. The student’s reactions varied as some of them got it instantly yet a few of them had to pause and think about it. I asked them why were they struggling, they had said they’ve never looked in this way of draping before, but found it very satisfying once they had grasped the method of cross-pollinating.
Framing a workshop and supplying materials is not enough, but by doing demonstrations in the workshop and students bringing in a garment of their choice allows them to be responsible for and fulfil the task in hand. The following is a difficult analogy, but it’s one of those things which you understand, but don’t understand but it’s had me thinking.Feynman, (1998, pp.55-61) Cargo cult science. In The art and science of analog circuit design. “In his 1974 commencement address at Caltech, Feynman shared a parable from World War II about indigenous people in the Pacific who observed American soldiers constructing makeshift landing strips and control towers. With limited understanding of the technology involved, islanders believed that mimicking these actions would bring them the same benefits – cargo planes filled with supplies.”
One aspect of the day I found quite stressful, was being a teacher and observer at the same time, trying to take notes, pictures and videos of the workshop, so in the future I will ask one of my peers, to participate with me. On reflection, I wondered if I was alone in thinking this, then I came across a useful corporate website (https://wlp.education/), The Benefits of Peer Observation in Teaching: Learning from Each Other, (which also happened to reference Cargo Cult Science, above). On the wlp site it says “Peer observation promotes a culture of collaboration and support within educational institutions. Teachers become more open to sharing their challenges and successes, creating an environment where everyone benefits from collective wisdom.” And it also says “Peer observation, when done effectively, provides a useful antidote to the pitfalls of “Cargo Cult Teaching.”
As a large group of nearly 28 students, it will enhance the experience for the students, allow a peer to learn about the subject as well as them providing feedback which as one person, I might not have picked up on.
In creative workshops as technicians, we don’t want to tell students how to reach their outcome , we want to guide them by encouraging them to explore options. ‘Dealing with ambiguity’ has become a pressing concern in many spheres of contemporary life, often presented as a ‘survival skill’ in an uncertain world. Working with ambiguity also plays a crucial role in the musical pedagogy of the Ottoman-Turkish ney (Sufi reed flute), the playing of which I discuss in this article. Rather than a constraint or deficiency to be resolved, in the context of ney apprenticeship, ambiguity emerges as a desired pedagogical force not only valued but also deliberately amplified. My aim is to show how ambiguity is embraced here as a productive condition that maximizes possibilities for artistic exploration, freedom of discernment, and aesthetic pleasures. Şenay, B., & Gür, F. (2022).
At the end of the workshop, I took the new sari which we had created on calico as a collective group and carefully pleated it, then draped it over me, showing the students that they are the artisans for this work.
As a technician we can cross-pollinate our workshops by bringing items from our cultures into our work environment as object base learning. By doing this we are showing students the diverse cultures of staff at the university through involving other voices, cultures, heritage, tribes, and neurodiverse ways of learning.
Two student conversations after the workshop as informal feedback in the studio
Student 1 is from a Welsh heritage background, has often seen folklore dress/costume but wanted to incorporate these design elements into his work but did not feel it would be understood. By doing the workshop, it gave him more confidence into finding out more about his heritage, as many people would weave fabric and wrap it around themselves as shawls to keep warm.
Student 2 is south Asian of Indian heritage and talked about using the word palimpsests for her MA project. She uses this word as a result of the Sari Workshop because it means the layers which are not seen or the peeling away different layers. I said to her this word palimpsests can show us that cross-pollination has been going for many years and that is why I see decolonisation as being complicated because if we take everything back to its original layer and remove history, we will forget what history has done to us all.
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Reference List
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Cumming, T.M. Rose, M.C. (2022). ‘Exploring universal design for learning as an accessibility tool in higher education: a review of the current literature,’ [online] Aust. Educ. Res.49, 1025–1043 (Accessed November 2024) available from https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00471-7
Feynman, Richard P. (1998). ‘Cargo Cult Science’ in Williams, J (ed)
Hostetter, H. Naser, NZ. Randall, K. Murray-Tuite, P. (2024). ‘Evacuation preparedness and intellectual disability: Insights from a university fire drill,’
Pranoto, BE. Suprayogi. (2011). ‘Insights from students’ perspective of 9GAG humorous memes used in EGL classroom,’ [online] Proceedings of the thirteenth conference on applied linguistics (CONAPLIN 2021), pp. 72-76 (Accessed: November 2024) available from https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210427.01.
Şenay, B. Gür, F. (2022). ‘Rationalising pedagogy: what counts as skill across musical communities of practice in contemporary Istanbul’ [online] Third World Quarterly, 45(4), pp. 698 -714. (Accessed: November 2024) available from doi: 10.1080/01436597.2022.2085549.
Thompson, R. Smith, RB. Bou Karim, Y. Shen, C. Drummond, K. Teng, C. Toledano, MB. (2022). ‘Noise pollution and human cognition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence,’ [online]. Environment International, 158, (Accessed: November 2024) available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106905.
