This polyvocal podcast tells the story so far of Inquilab / Ink-Lab; an alternative reading group based at University of the Arts London.  Outraged by the brutal murder of George Floyd many individuals within higher education (HE) were incensed, leading to a collective realisation of the imperative for transformative action. In response, Dr. Gurnam Singh, Jheni Arboine, and a small cohort of UAL staff and students made a decisive commitment to establish a distinctive reading group—Inquilab. This group distinguishes itself by embracing an unapologetically radical approach, with its foundat ..read more

In this episode of interrogating spaces, Dr Emily Salines takes us on an exploration of feedback practice, and how we might take a more compassionate approach. The impact of feedback on student learning is well documented in educational literature. We also know that it is a critical area of practice where the emotional impact of assessment is at play. We speak with a number of practitioners, teachers and students to set out to map a framework for compassionate feedback practice and how we might enact it  The questions we are asking are: How can we harness feedback to support learning in ..read more

In this shorter, edited version of the podcast, we hear from three students about their experience of taking part in Creative Shift’s Women+ of Colour in Leadership (W+CinL) live brief project (2022). W+CinL is a 10-week project designed to inspire and empower UAL students who identify as female. Giving 15 students an opportunity to develop different aspects of leadership through leadership coaching delivered by Jannett Morgan, Director of JM Learning & Skills, while applying their learnings to an industry live brief. This year we worked with PR agency, Hope&Glory and their client Link ..read more

In this podcast we hear from two international students about their experience of studying at UAL, specifically at Central St Martins. They give valuable insights as well as tips for tutors and incoming students. This podcast was made by the Student Imaginators, a cross-college group of students and alumni at UAL, who imagine, create and produce student-facing resources to do with decolonial approaches and compassionate pedagogy. Credits/ references: Participants: Mihika Bahety and Vicky Wong Questions and Facilitation: Dr Amita Nijhawan Sound Engineering and Production: Hannah Kemp-Welch ..read more

In this podcast, Dr Amita Nijhawan speaks with a Graphics, Media and Design (GMD) student at LCC and the GMD Course Support Assistant and former student about their experiences as international students as well as exploring approaches to decolonisation and its link to personal practice and research.  Credits/ references: Participants: Emmanuel Aouad, Disha Deshpande and Dr Amita Nijhawan Questions and Facilitation: Dr Amita Nijhawan Sound Engineering and Production: Hannah Kemp-Welch and Emmanuel Aouad Music: LA Flux Ride - Wind Talker by Flux Bikes ..read more

In this episode of Interrogating Spaces Dr Amita Nijhawan introduces the LCC student Changemakers, a group of student consultants who work with course leaders and course teams to bring more social justice into the curriculum. They are a community of students and alumni who inform pedagogic development through a decolonial lens.   Here, their perspectives and experiences are brought together in a polyvocal assemblage. Amongst many topics, they talk about race, equality, the complexities and sensitivities of social justice work and most importantly what it is to be a student in the cur ..read more

This panel discussion on pass/fail assessment in arts higher education took place online during the ‘Belonging through assessment: Pipelines of compassion’ symposium on 21st October 2021. The symposium forms part of the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project 2021 and is a partnership between University of the Arts London (UAL), Glasgow School of Art and Leeds Arts University (LAU). The discussion between invited speakers: Professor Sam Broadhead (LAU), Dr Neil Currant, (UAL) and Peter Hughes, (LAU) is facilitated by Dr Kate Mori (Academic Engagement Manager, QAA). The discussion explores the po ..read more

In this episode of Interrogating Spaces we explore the value of belonging in Higher Education. Compiling together interviews with education professionals from across the globe as well as staff and students from UAL, we get a rounded picture of key concepts and issues at play. Through these discussions, we establish the barriers and conditions of belonging and how staff can build greater communities of belonging with their students. For more resources on the subject of belonging visit UAL's AEM and attainment resources page Podcast Contributors: Neil Currant is an Educational Developer and Se ..read more

This episode of Interrogating Spaces profiles the latest Decolonising the Arts Curriculum exhibition at Central St Martins library, curated by Rahul Patel (Lecturer on MA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central St Martins and Educational Developer at UAL’s Teaching, Learning and Employability Exchange). The five featured artists are Maria Bendixen, Dr Jo Shah, Tobi Alexandre Falade, Siyan Zhang and Joanna Mamede who lead us through the ideas at play in each of their artworks and their social and political resonances. They speak openly about their personal experiences and help us gain new pe ..read more

Following on from the previous of interrogating spaces that explored concepts of belonging in Higher Education, we move to online learning environments. In the context of Covid-19 and the sharp move to online teaching across the globe, we hear practitioners, academics and students reflect on how we can foster and develop a sense of belonging in digital spaces. We hear about the challenges and affordances of online environments, as well as suggestions as to how we might create a sense of presence and help student feel valued. For more resources on belonging see UAL's AEM and attainment resourc ..read more