INTERVIEW
Interview with a Dean my third intervention
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
………………………………………………………………………………………………
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.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
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
………………………………………………………………………………………………
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.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Voice Interview
Raw Transcript Interview
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….