 
Decolonising the Design Curriculum
How can we change the impact of colonialism on the education of Spatial Design? Aminata (Ami) Fall FAL16485459
BA Interior & Spatial Design 19/20 Unit 10: History and Theory 3 (Consolidation) 12th January, 2020 Final Word Count: 7545
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Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..… Page 3 Introduction: What is ‘Decolonising the Curriculum’?……………………….……. Page 4 Chapter 1: Interrogating Theory………………………………………..…………. Page 7 1.1. What knowledge systems are used in relation to Spatial Design at Chelsea? 1.2. Understanding History: How the past has influenced the built environment today Chapter 2: Decolonising the Libraries……………………..…………………….… Page 23 2.1. Chelsea College of Arts: Old, New & Iniva, Stuart Hall Library 2.2. Methodology, Discussions & Analyses Chapter 3: Where Do We Go From Here?…………………….…………….….…Page 31 3.1. What Would a Decolonised Spatial Design Curriculum Look Like?
3.2. Theoretical Framework 3.3. Conclusion
Bibliography……………………………….………………………………………….……Page 36 Image Sources………………………………………………………….………………..…Page 38 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………Page 44
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Abstract In this paper I interrogated the existing knowledge systems by which Interior and Spatial Design is taught and hypothesised alternative frameworks, in an effort to encourage a decolonised curriculum that expands its focus on regions outside of Europe and the Western World. This was no means a strategy to abolish the European canon, but to cross-examine its existing assumptions on how to the world operates, and broaden the capacity and range of perspectives in regards to culture and history. I investigated the initiative further specifically within the realms Interior & Spatial Design. My research tackles the impacts of a colonised curriculum and where we can see the future of interior and spatial design, once it is truly representative of its participants. In order to hypothesise an alternative framework, I undertook a qualitative methodological approach through interviews and discussions. I gathered voices and opinions from real people on an extremely real issue. By doing so, I gained a better understanding of what Decolonisation of the Curriculum truly means. I discovered practical ways to accomplish what the movement stands for and explain and the positive effects that can come from doing so. Analysis of the responses showed that there is in fact an increasing demand from both students and tutors to decolonise the curriculum. Based on these results and dialogues, I conclude that whilst there is increased evidence of work towards the movement, there is further work yet to carry out.
 
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Introduction What is ‘Decolonising the Curriculum’? Decolonise; verb /ˌdiːˈkɒl.ə.naɪz/ (of a colony) To make a country that was previously a colony (= a country controlled by another country) politically independent; to get rid of colonies. (social science) To change something such as a curriculum (= a list of books, ideas, etc. to be studied) in a way that considers the cultural beliefs behind it, for example the belief that European writers, artists or ideas are better and more important than ones from countries that were colonised (= controlled) by Europe, and that gives more importance to these non-European writers, artists, etc. Curriculum; noun /kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm/ The subjects studied in a school, college, etc. and what each subject includes. Source: Cambridge Dictionary, (2019)
‘Decolonisation’ historically refers to the dismantlement of colonial empires established throughout the world prior to the First World War. An example is the decolonisation of British India after the Second World War on the 15th August 1947, where the country became divided into two independent states: India and Pakistan. Decolonisation involves formerly colonised people reclaiming their traditional culture which was once stripped from them - “redefining themselves as a people and reasserting their distinct identity” (Mussel, B. 2008). The notion in question primarily asks us to take a step back and look at our presumptions about how people, ideas, values and the world around us exists. In educational and professional disciplines, presumptions surrounding racial and civilisational hierarchy have informed many thinking patterns about how the world works, how we should be studying and therefore what and who we should be studying. These presumptions are what have historically been used to justify and inform the expansion of the colonial rulings in Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia up until the mid-twentieth century. There is no singular definition for the word ‘curriculum’. Curriculum can be written and unwritten, as it is essentially everything the institution, school, college or university is setting out to teach. During a course of study – in this instance, Interior & Spatial Design – a guideline or map of each academic year is set, consisting of instructional practices, extra-curricular learning experiences, theory-based practice and independent practice. A curriculum is a set of frameworks which put into place various expectations to acquire a specific set of skills and knowledge, both for the time spent in the institution and for professional practice. The key words here are “frameworks” and “knowledge”, both of which will be frequently referenced throughout this paper. When instating a framework at
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‘university-level standards’, a problem arises when the education that undergraduate Spatial Designers are expected to have when they graduate, is largely based on Eurocentric and Western knowledge and/or ideals. To give a brief background of the movement origin, Decolonisation of the curriculum has become a critical topic of discourse amongst universities in the UK, and is now a worldwide phenomenon, significantly since the 2015 ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign taking place at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The movement resulted in the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a 19th-century British Imperialist who drove the vast annexation of South African land. This protest inspired the subsequent campaign to remove the same statue of Rhodes from Oxford University in the UK, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Efforts to decolonise the curriculum exist within practices such as philosophy, literature, journalism and other academic-based courses at universities such as University College London and SOAS. More recently, University of the Arts London has taken to this initiative with the establishment of the African-Caribbean, Asian & African Art in Britain Archive at the Chelsea College of Arts Library, established in 1985 by Liz Ward, a librarian at Chelsea. Whilst this is an amazing step forward, the work is arguably not yet complete. What I am yet to witness is decolonisation of the curriculum, specifically in relation to Architecture, Spatial Design and the Built Environment. When interpreting colonialism, one must also refer to intellectual or cultural colonialism. Much of the educational curricula throughout world history has been propagated by figures who have held and maintained societal power. Ways in which academia has been distributed, taught and published around the world has ultimately had effect on certain student experiences in higher education particularly, as university serves as a pivotal point in a student’s career - it is the point at which people come to terms with their chosen career paths, and is a significant time for developing professional and social relationships. UAL is currently ranked as the 2nd top university for Art and Design in the world, and is Europe’s largest specialist in Art and Design. The university is becoming increasingly more diverse and inclusive, providing extracurricular societies led by students of colour, for students of colour. Noticeable however, are the inequalities and barriers that persist in many other regions of arts education. Such inequalities that I address in this dissertation are ones that are undeniably founded on Britain’s colonial past. I explore this topic in relation to Spatial Design, and expand on why it is important to cater to every student in respects to their cultural backgrounds. The aim of my research is to address the gaps existing in the curricula; take on new theoretical approaches in relation to the Built Environment, propose new solutions for unresolved problems for both students and educators, and to build on existing knowledge with new data. Colonial patterns, mindsets and perceptions are still embedded into the frameworks of our institutional structures. Historically, the most influential and powerful voices have acted as sources of Page 5 of 64
knowledge, thus perceived as the most reliable and therefore more important references to history and information. ‘Decolonising the curriculum’ in an alternative analogy, could be an example of whether or not we would consider it acceptable if the teachings or writings on the topic of intersectional feminism or women’s studies for example — were exclusively written by men. The question then would be “how would this influence the individual perspectives that are being presented?” The same principle applies to whether it would be acceptable if teachings of African or Asian regions were given exclusively by European or Western writers. How would these teachings influence our understandings, views and ideals, especially as our nation is widely made up of minorities and people of colour? The movement promotes us to think about what exactly the implications are of a more diverse student body in terms of practice, teaching and achievement. Due to the fact that we exist in a world largely marked by a history of structural inequality of numerous kinds — race, gender, class, sexuality — it is of great importance that educators are educated on these topics and put in the work necessary to give students equal opportunities to thrive. This incorporates acknowledging, confronting and dealing with systematic imbalance as it has been woven into distinct aspects of the university experience. Overall, the principle is simple - diversification, representation and making more space for equal opportunity is incredibly important. This in turn creates a more encouraging and rewarding space for both students and educators.
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Interrogating Theory Chapter One
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1.1. What knowledge systems are used in relation to Spatial Design at Chelsea? In this chapter, I aim to find out what knowledge systems are used in teaching Interior & Spatial Design. What exactly are the frameworks by which undergraduates are basing their creative thinking patterns around and what exactly do the knowledge systems look like? To do so, I dissect the course handbook to understand exactly what the academic intentions and frameworks are behind the course. Subjectively speaking, I feel as though the education that I experience does not adequately take into consideration my own lived experience as a woman of colour, potentially moving towards an industry such as architecture - a profession which is widely known to have been both historically male-dominated and white-dominated.
The importance of a curriculum that is truly representative and caters to its students and educators of multiple backgrounds is immense, considering London at the time of the 2011 Census, was made up of 8,173,941 people - 3,286,506 (40.1%) being British people of Asian, African and Caribbean backgrounds. (UK Census, 2011). All education should be attentive with reflecting the huge number of cultural identities that make up the student body, especially in a university so largely made up of students from across the globe. University of the Arts London states to be “proud of the rich, ethnic and cultural diversity of [its] students and staff.” Around “a third of [UAL’s] UK students come from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds and [UAL’s] international students come from over 110 countries. It is this diversity that helps us develop our creative and academic interests and contribute to new ways of thinking about social identity.” (UAL Official Website (2019)) Somewhat contradictory however, is the research has shown that attainment gaps exist within universities such as UAL, and the curricula has been described by both students and tutors as Eurocentric and somewhat limited when it comes to discussing the work of people of colour, focusing largely on that of artists, designers and authors of European and North American backgrounds. This of course leaves large gaps in the curriculum for people of minorities and/or colour. The University and College Union reported that “black female professors in UK universities faced systematic racism, bullying and discrimination.” The report states that in comparison to their 14,000 white male counterparts, black women were recorded to be just 25 of the working professors of 2016-17. (Muldoon, J. 2019) Most reading lists in the disciplines of Social Sciences, Philosophy, Literature and so on, consist of a staggering amount of white male authors, and having researched my own BA ISD reading lists, I can confirm that this is most certainly still an issue, and this introduces what is known as a 'systematic distortion’ to the curricula material and disregards scholarship by BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethic) scholars.
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A significant part of my journey through the course was during the second year of studies. I discovered my own styles of designing and writing. Unit 6: Spatial Constructs was a point at which I experienced a real sense of independence and creative control. I designed a three-part interactive installation as part of my Design Research Studio project, which was based at the Barbican Centre. The theme was body architecture and the relationships between the human body and designated space. I had researched a Japanese installation artist and designer named Chiharu Shiota, who is based in Berlin. Besides the fact that I simply loved her work aesthetically and technically, I found myself interested in the work of someone who existed within a very small segment of the spatial design industry as a whole — a woman, and more specifically, a woman of colour. I realised at that point that I had not researched the work of anyone who had any similarities to myself, prior to this project. I began to look at my own thinking patterns and references when it came to coming up with design plans and concepts.
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Fig. 1: Authors of books listed in the recommended reading list of Unit 6: Spatial Constructs at BA Interior & Spatial Design, as of 2019. (Course Handbook, 2019/2020) (Appendix 1) Upon revisiting the suggested reading list for that particular unit (Fig. 1), I compiled the photos of who the authors selected for the list and what that might have meant in regards to my intended learning outcome. Fig. 1 indicates who the course handbook points at in terms of relevancy and credibility in the field. Amongst the list of authors, there was only 1 person of colour - Shin Egashira a Japanese architect and educator. In addition, I was able to pinpoint that the women included in the list were designers and educators; Luisa Collina, Susan Dawson, Martina Fineder and Cate St. Hill all of whom are British/European. The reason I bring up this list of authors in respects to their cultural and ethnic backgrounds is because the notion of equal representation for international students and students of colour at UAL, seemingly does not apply here. As quoted earlier (UAL: Student Diversity, 2019), the “diversity that helps [UAL] develop [their] creative and academic interests”, contributing to “new ways of thinking about social identity.”, truly must demonstrate that belief in every sense of the word. Students enrolling from around the world, and from an even larger spectrum of backgrounds will not encounter and learn the full span of Spatial Design, if the European canon is the focus-point of our knowledge system. Essentially, the birth of architecture and the built environment by no means happened in
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Europe. I will maintain that whilst studying the history of spatial design, it is vitally important to show recognition of indigenous forms of the profession, through the incorporation into curricula, touching on colonial settler nations such as nations in Africa, Asia, South America and Australasia. Whilst I have explored one so far aspect of the curriculum — it is also important to understand that interrogating theory is more than just interrogating reading lists. It is quite literally everything that is put into the framework of the student academic experience. This includes lecture series, design practice workshops and external trips. In the ISD 2nd year of study (2018-19), each student was placed in groups of around 4-7 people for Design Practice Site Visits. Group presentations were given based on the building of the week. For example, each week, 2 groups presented a case study of a site such as the Imperial War Museum, or the Idea Store, Whitechapel. The list of sites are as followed: 1. Imperial War Museum - Foster & Partners Design 2. Barbican Centre - Chamberlin, Powell and Bon 3. Brunswick Centre - Patrick Hodgkinson 4. Idea Store - David Adjaye 5. Book Pavilion - Snøhetta 6. Tate Modern - Herzog & de Meuron 7. Royal Festival Hall & National Theatre - Robert Matthew; Leslie Martin; Peter Moro 8. Laban Centre - Herzog & De Meuron 9. Saw Swee Hock Centre - O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects 10. Lisson Galleries - Tony Fretton 11. Exhibition Road Quarter - Amanda Levete 12. Kings Place - Dixon Jones 13. Battersea Arts Centre - Edward William Mountford 14. Design Museum - John Pawson 15. Portsoken Pavilion - Make Architects 16. Leadenhall Building & Lloyd’s of London - Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners 17. Swiss Re Tower/30 St. Mary Axe - Foster & Partners
The site visits were informative and a great way of exploring London, whilst gaining an understanding buildings that many of us had never seen before, despite living in London for many years. It was
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helpful for both international students and home/EU students to grasp a design concept and view how architects’ minds operate - in person, rather than on a screen, or on paper. In the same way that I dissected the Unit 6 Reading List, I have also decided to do the same for the designers of the Design Practice site visits to visualise who is being selected as reference for our creative development as future interior and spatial designers.
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Fig. 2a: Architects for selected site visits, Design Practice (2018-19)
Although there was just one woman (Amanda Levete) and one person of colour (David Adjaye) on the site visit list, the series itself proved to be incredibly enriching, because during those discussions on site, we were introduced to a number of other architects of various social and cultural backgrounds, which is invaluable. We discussed the work of Dame Zaha Hadid, Sir David Adjaye’s Stephen Lawrence Centre, Elsie Owusu OBE, Kirk Morrison, and Wilfred Achille. I can most definitely say that I was able to learn something useful from each of the sites that I visited. The point that I will refer back to is that having an all-white, all-European group of architects as reference for knowledge isn’t what will ultimately be harmful - the absence of designers of colour who represent aspiring designers is what will be. I saw the effort put in to educate students on the works of people from African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Caribbean descent during this series.
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Fig. 2b: Notable BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) Architects, as mentioned by D.Farrell, BA ISD. I took the opportunity to interview D. Farrell, a course tutor for Interior & Spatial Design, who led the site visits. We addressed issues in the fields of diversity, curricula, and navigating the professional world of Spatial Design as a person of colour. The conversation opened my mind even further into the reasons why we have the movement of decolonisation of the design curriculum, and what it means for everyone involved. My chapter titled ‘Methodology’ goes through the steps I took in researching and hearing what real people feel towards these topics.
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1.2. Understanding history: How the past has influenced the built environment today. “All ancient civilisations have contributed in some way to the development of modern society. All therefore equally deserving of study.” (Dr. Joyce Tyldesley, 2011). In this section I will be highlighting some of the many ways that the modern built environment has evolved from numerous ancient cultures, and why I believe it beneficial to include these details in curricula. Let’s take Ancient Egypt for example, the civilisation being one of the most influential origins of architecture throughout history. The buildings first evolved out of the needs that were shelter, security and worship. I consider an amazing topic to cover in the course curricula would be that of the Mesopotamian architectural movement — one of the earliest civilisations of human habitation that arose across the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, passing though several distinct cultures and spanning from the 10th millennium (c.B.C.), to the 6th century (B.C.), when the first permanent structures were built (M. Chazan, 2017). Today, the Mesopotamian region corresponds to most of Iraq, Kuwait, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, among other regions along Iran-Iraq and Turkish-Syrian borders (D. Collon, 2011). Temples, pyramids, and The Great Sphinx are examples of architectural motifs that have influenced present-day architecture, interior and spatial design in the wider world. The original pyramids “serve as a testament to the mathematical skills of the Egyptians, a skill that stimulated Greek mathematicians, including Pythagoras, to perfect their work.” (Dr. Joyce Tyldesley, 2011). The Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Khufu in 2550 BC is perhaps the one most notable pyramids in Egypt. Whilst the physical structures are undeniably a mathematical phenomenon in the built environment, they also hold key understandings to the structures of North African societies. I see a huge relevance in including this knowledge in Spatial Design curricula, especially as many students of University of the Arts London are of African and Middle Eastern descent. By doing so, every student and tutor can learn ways in which modern architecture movements have arisen and developed.
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Fig. 3: The Great Pyramid of Giza, March 2005
The pyramid motif in particular still plays a major role in modern architecture today. The form can be seen rising above cemeteries, shopping centres and at the new entrance to the Louvre Museum, Paris.
Fig. 5: The Courtyard of the Louvre Museum at night, 2010
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Fig. 4: Comparison of notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings
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Fig. 6: Inside the pyramid: the view of the Louvre Museum in Paris from the underground lobby of the pyramid.
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I take an interest into Ancient Egyptian architecture and civilisation in regards to Spatial Design, because urban planning, a large part of what we learn as Spatial Designers developed during the Mesopotamian era. The urban planning of Ancient Egyptian housing and Ziggurats was an extremely influential part of the ways in which urban planning is practiced today. Deir el-Medina is an example of a communal civilisation, and is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt to this day, due to the huge array of information it provides on the daily lives of people who lived there. Deir el-Medina was a worker’s village for artists and masons who built the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. It was in continuous use from the era of Thutmose I (1520-1492 BC), until the collapse of the New Kingdom in c.1069 BC (anagh, 2017). The site is a widely recognised UNESCO World Heritage site.
Fig. 7: Ruins of Deir el-Medina, 2010
Fig. 8
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Fig. 4: Comparison of notable pyramidal or nearpyramidal buildings
Fig. 4 is a productive way to visualise ways in which pyramidal shapes have been a powerful motif in monumental structures throughout the world as it has developed. I find it interesting to see how cultures that came after that of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian, such as Mesoamerican have so many similarities, yet so many differences when it comes to art, religion and social structures. Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area extending through Central American countries such as Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. The chronology of this region is divided in several periods of history: Paleo-Indian (first humanhabitation-3500 BCE), the Archaic (Before 2600 BCE), The Pre-classic (2500 BCE-250 CE), the Classic (250-900 CE), and Postcolonial (1821-present) (Mendoza, Ruben G. (2001). This region that is known as pre-Colombian/prehispanic was home to societies that flourished before the Spanish colonisation of the Americas. This is major information, as it holds historical and cultural significance. I have personally never come across Mesoamerican/Mayan origins in architectural history in any curricula. El Castillo, Chichen Itza (1000 CE) (which today correlates as Mexico), is a Mesoamerican steppyramid which is a notable example when exploring Mesoamerican and Mayan man-made environments.
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Fig. 9: El Castillo, photographed by Teobert Maler, 1892
Fig. 10: El Castillo, photographed by Daniel Schwen, 2009
This region is is one of the many places where the revolution of agriculture took place independently, and it was home to the most advanced civilisations of North America before Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas in 1492, and therefore before colonialism of the Americas. The Mayan people developed a unique writing style, the Mayan calendar, the Aztec language et cetera. Paul Kirchhoff defined the region as a “culture area” (Kirchhoff, 1943), (V. Bricker, J.A. Sabloff, 2012), and it has been considered since the 1960’s to be one of the “six great culture areas of the ancient world.” - the others being Peru, Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, according to Morton Fried. (Reynolds, J. (2016, September 12)) Exploring culture, ideas and references of knowledge of these regions exposes us to extraordinary achievement in the development of the built environment and human civilisation outside of Europe and the ‘Old World’, and therefore have immeasurable comparative value.
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I aim to communicate and justify as best as possible the fact that in London, where our university is situated, “Everything and everything around us is from Europe. But all these things that are around us from Europe, have all been influenced by everything that is from elsewhere. So when we talk about framing the curriculum, it’s more about being honest about where these ideas come from and what has influenced them.” (Farrell, D. 2019; Appendix 2). When we study Interior & Spatial Design, we often look at architects and interior designers who have taken inspiration from painters such as Picasso, the most well-known early Modernist Cubist. who “came up with their own ideas of primitivism”, taking influence from Ancient African Art and “producing judgements on what it is, essentially appropriating in some way - good and bad.” (Farrell, 2019). The following figures speak for themselves, and whilst Le Corbusier has consistently been mentioned throughout all 3 years of lecture series, the sources of influence have not, which is an example of why Decolonisation of the Curriculum has been initiated.
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Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Le Corbusier’s ‘Notre Dame de Haut’, Ronchamp, France.
Pablo Picasso, 1907, Head of a Sleeping Woman (Study for Nude with Drapery)
Fang mask, originating in the 19th century. The mask is similar in style to what Picasso came across in Paris shortly prior to Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
The chapel’s distinctive details drew inspiration from Picasso’s Cubist painting ‘Guernica’. Many of Picasso’s cubist paintings have been the source of inspiration for buildings such as Josef Chochol’s ‘Hodek Apartment House’.
The painting, as with many of Picasso’s other works in his ‘African Period’, are all heavily influenced by African sculpture. i.e. African masks and ancient Egyptian art.
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Decolonising the Libraries Chapter Two
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2.1. Chelsea College of Arts: Old, New & Iniva, Stuart Hall Library In this section, I underline the current efforts that are taking place at UAL to decolonise the libraries, which in turn decolonises the curriculum for those who wish to seek the information provided by the various archives available in Chelsea’s Old and New libraries. I am also looking into the Iniva Library Archive, which is situated on campus. The purpose of this section is to highlight how we can all benefit from information that focuses on African, Asian, Caribbean and Ethnic Minorities as sources of knowledge. Before all else, I approached the libraries on campus from a physical and spatial viewpoint. The Old Library at Chelsea is as old as the building itself, and was opened in 1812 as the Millbank Prison. The building was next occupied by The Royal Army Medical College in 1907. During each of these periods, the office area for officers and the highest-ranking members of staff, is now known as the Old Library. The interior of the space still emulates the 19th and early 20th century war period. Fig. 14: Interior sketch of Old Library at Chelsea
The overall shape and integrity of the room has remained as it were over 100 years ago, with tall, arched ceilings and a bookshelf balcony that travels around the perimeter of the room. The original wooden facade around this perimeter has maintained the its 19th-20th century aesthetic and the open-plan layout is what makes the space ideal for study. The lack of bookshelves and computer monitors in the centre of the room creates an atmosphere of stillness, with very little distraction or visual noise. It is truly a space where people go to get work done. Having researched the history of the library interior, I have also been able to look further into the space, and understand what the library actually serves as when it comes to being an information and learning space. In the New library at Chelsea, the decolonising curricular initiative has been put in place through the AACEM Archive, and the Old Library now serves as the space where the Reading Group discussions, focusing on the Archive and other special collections at Chelsea take place. By transforming these areas into what were once military offices, rooted in Britain’s colonial past — into what is now an interior that Page 24 of 64
encourages a greater understanding of these archives, why there were introduced, and the stories behind them — we are now essentially in situated in such a space that encourages the movement, regardless of how well-received or popular it may be. In an interview I conducted with R. Patel (Appendix 2), Patel mentioned that the university’s archive initiative is “still not being utilised”, which may sound somewhat bleak, but in this case, “there is hope”, because there is evidence that there is a demand from students for greater representation. 30% of the course cohort at the MA Culture, Criticism & Curation at Central Saint Martins, enquired “Why are we just looking at North American and Northern European artists?”; “Where are the black tutors?” And finally “Where are the black students?” (Patel, 2019) There are so many fantastic collections and resources that can be exploited for the benefit of the students. In my earlier discussion with Farrell I can see that both educators, and myself included, can clearly understand that all students will gain useful life skills and in a wider capacity if the curriculum is decolonised. Kenneth Wilder, who I also had a discussion with, expressed his interest in the issue. He believes that by rethinking our art and design archives and knowledge spaces, we will all be able to “understand politically why an imbalance exists/persists.” (Appendix 3). Fig. 15: Interior sketch of New Library at Chelsea
Referring back to the Chelsea libraries as physical spaces, there is clearly a remarkable amount of area. There is an endless amount of research material on almost any subject desirable and I truly respect the effort that is now being put into making the learning spaces more varied. I have observed that in these libraries, students are there to complete their assignments, researching and finding texts that are usually exclusively related to their course of study, and they then leave once this process is complete. Iniva & The Stuart Hall Library. In comparison to the aforementioned libraries which are directly situated in the college building, The Stuart Hall Library is now based on campus at 16 John Islip Street. This special collections library and archive of Iniva focuses on British, European and Page 25 of 64
American art by contemporary artist with African, Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Asian, Oceanic and Latin American heritage. Dedicating an information space to the huge amount of talent coming from many diasporas of the world by people of colour is to me, a form of decolonising the curriculum.   Fig. 16: Interior sketch of Iniva Stuart Hall Library
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2.2. Methodology, Discussions & Analyses I now talk through my methodology, and analyse the results. I conducted qualitative research surrounding diversity in Spatial Design at UAL, because a momentous social topic of discussion such as this, deserves focus on people’s stories and opinions, rather than numbers and figures. I conducted a series of interviews with members of the university, including writers, tutors, and lecturers. I kept a variation of people included in the discussion. To be specific, I interviewed D. Farrell, an AfricanCaribbean-British artist and educator; K. Wilder, a white British artist and writer and R. Patel, a Southeast-Asian-British researcher, curator and designer. I began with Farrell (Appendix 2), opening with relatively simple questions, and we gradually got into the core of conversation. The entire discussion lasted for approximately 1.5 hours, and the most significant and profound answers that I received were those towards the middle and end of the conversation. A small selection of extracts from my questions and most concise answers are as followed;
“
Why do you think people campaigning and advocating for the decolonising curriculum, now more than ever?”
You know the saying, "Strike while the iron is hot"?
[…] racism and other forms of discrimination are always on the table. […] That's the
problem, because people are lazy and to survive, we have to pick one thing over another. But the problem arises when people do not have enough information to pick one thing over another. When we are inexperienced, ignorant and our frame of reference is incredibly limited, that's what racism is for me. So, The reason I think the subject of decolonisation of the curriculum is on the table is because we do need to strike while the iron is hot. Because those subjects are in our face right now. […] The way information is exchanged is completely different now. […] It's necessary to put things in place to make sure that people are catered for, if we're going to be in a situation where in twenty-five years or so, most people in this country will not be from this country. That means that perhaps we at the very least need to and we need to address what we teach, how we teach it and who is relevant to. If this problem of racism is going to go away, it is not going to do it by itself.
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One of those ways is to teach ourselves different things and learn new things. Learn that Architecture and Interiors is not a European thing. It's a human thing. Most humans on the planet are not European. Most people being taught for example in this university, which is one of the most successful art and design institutions on the planet are from Asia. The basic idea is that if people being taught are from everywhere, then ideas from everywhere should be taught.
”
To me, this response is what my interview was all about. The purpose of conducting these interviews was not only to justify my research and beliefs prior to the discussions, but to also discuss the implications of these responses. Farrell’s responses to my questions were not only important as a singular voice, but also important as a voice that is representative of a wider community of people.
“
There will be things uncovered in the next 100 to 200 years that will completely change our outlook on what it is to be even human.
”
Our planet will be completely different in the next 20 years, much less the next centuries. New
information will be uncovered and our outlooks will be completely changed (as noted by Farrell). The significance of this is that in decolonisation of the curriculum, we as humans in this built environment have the capability to realise that there is a whole world outside of the European canon, which as I have mentioned earlier, has dominated a large number of people for hundreds of years. It is important to understand that…
“
that's only a small part of human history. We don't know what we're going to find out as well.
”
What I am really trying to express is that by opening up the minds of students to a wider variation of people, cultures and histories, we can only grow and benefit from this. The following questions that I asked were in regards to career opportunities, which will ultimately be the next step after life at university, and essentially the main reason we start the journey originally.
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“
I’m interested if you believe that spatial designers of colour have just the same opportunities in terms of jobs, internships, career development - in comparison to their white counterparts. How do you feel about this?
Yes and no. Yes, because the jobs are there. No, because there are people and forces at work that mean that certain opportunities will not be available. It's a fact. When it comes to young people of colour getting jobs in the industry, I say yes they can, but they'll have to work bloody hard, much harder. Not twice, not three times, maybe four times harder. When we address our knowledge systems in these discussions, it is because ultimately the
”
frameworks affect our knowledge in the wider world when we leave university. I am an aspiring spatial designer. I am of West African descent and I am also a woman. Both of these aspects of my identity affect my experiences in the world. Exploring the full spectrum of the built environment will always be the most beneficial and it will reap the greatest outcomes when the full spectrum of humanity is included. In the conversation I had with R. Patel (Appendix 3), we discussed several ideas on the direction in which the movement is headed. When Patel mentioned that if we want to truly achieve what the initiative is all about, I myself realised that ,“We can't assume that its's just by having black faces in high places.”. In terms of what this means for Spatial Practice, it means that this isn’t all about having for example, David Adjaye’s face as the poster of what the black architect embodies. By all means, Adjaye is an incredibly talented and admirable designer, but there are so many more voices that are completely unheard of. K. Wilder, who I interviewed also shared this view (Appendix 4). Wilder mentioned that,
“
For every figure such as David Adjaye or Steve McQueen that breaks through the glass ceiling, many others fail not because of a lack of ability, but because collective disciplines such as architecture, interior & spatial design and film-making require access to considerable resources to practice.
”
Overall, each of the participants whom I took the time to chat with, essentially shared the same views, despite coming from different ethnic backgrounds and different professions. The movement is not just about having black architects at the forefront of reading lists, magazines, articles, and gaining popularity. It’s also about behind the scenes in course handbooks, lectures addressing their own references used in lectures and tutorials, project briefs and creating a generally more encouraging Page 29 of 64
space for all students to learn the histories behind the majority of Western phenomena, ideals, concepts and movements. The message behind this is that from the very beginning, we must “plant the idea on the table for the students to digest... And the idea is that not only Westerners are involved in the production of culture.” (Farrell, D. Appendix 1) The results of my methodology were exactly what I had expected, and more. The participants had confirmed my thoughts prior to the conversation and inspired me to push this notion forward, positively. When I speak of doing so positively, I imagine bringing new authors, and designers to the table in a constructive light, rather than lamenting the lack thereof. This brings me to my third and final chapter, ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’, where I explore my own theoretical frameworks and ideas to expand and decolonise the spatial design curriculum.
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Where Do We Go From Here? Chapter Three
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3.1. What Would a Decolonised Spatial Design Curriculum Look Like? In this section, I will also be hypothesising new academic frameworks, through alternate reading lists, lecture series, and various architects and designers who not only represent a large portion of the university’s population, but also reflect the future generation of spatial designers who will ultimately be shaping the built environment around us in the near future. After having conducted interviews for the purpose of research, my aim is now to show how this research will contribute to the progression of the movement within the realm of Spatial Design. I will be explaining my expectations, proposals and key concepts for a re-framed curriculum. I will select a number of spatial designers who I personally find beneficial in adding to lecture series and reading lists, and address the notable relationships between various concepts and architectural movements. I personally feel as though a change in lecture series regarding designers that are being referenced, is a much more beneficial and engaging initiative, in comparison to a change in reading lists. The reason I believe so, is because lectures are directly addressed to students in a face-to-face manner. The lecturer speaks to their students and displays a number of images, videos and descriptive analyses of the topic. When we compare this method of teaching to reading lists, I can see that former is perhaps slightly more effective in the absorption of knowledge. Come what may, both are equally as important. I have researched a number of architects and spatial designers who I regard as highly reputable and talented in their fields. The list includes artists of European, African, Southeast Asian and East Asian descent. I have also made a not of including both men and women in the list, which I believe is as important as having a set of designers of diverse backgrounds. I have compiled a list of both design studios and individuals, who are as followed: • Studio Mumbai • BIG: Bjarke Ingels Group • Zaha Hadid/Zaha Hadid Architects • David Adjaye/Adjaye Associates • Frank Gehry • Studio Precht • Future Firm • Diller Scofidio + Renfro • Marina Tabasssum/Marina Tabassum Architects
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• Neri Oxman • Francis Kéré • Kunlé Adeyemi • Urko Sánchez/Urko Sánchez Architects • MASS Design Group • Penoyre & Prasad • Philip Johnson • Olafur Eliasson The names of designers and studios that I have listed are not only inclusive gender and race, but many also advocate for greener, sustainable architecture, and are people who I believe set a huge example for the future architects and spatial designers at UAL and across the globe.
Fig. 17. My suggestions for lecture series designers and studios.
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3.2. Theoretical Framework In order to structure my research and arguments for this paper, I have sought out a number of scholarly references including books, articles and discussions regarding the topic of decolonisation of the curriculum. The most strongest sources of references I have used to base my research on are Muldoon J. (2019), with “Academics: it's time to get behind decolonising the curriculum” article for the Guardian, Tyledesley, J Dr. (2012), with “Stories from Ancient Egypt”, Bell Hooks’ “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom”, Shades of Noir’s UAL Attainment Conference, (2018) and Collon, D. With the article “Ancient History In Depth: Mesopotamia” (n.d.). Each of these authors have helped me frame my research in various sections of my paper. I began researching the origin of the ‘Decolonising the Curriculum’ movement, and cited Muldoon in the Abstract of my text. The article provided important statistics into the demographics of professors at UK universities, specifying the number of black women teaching in comparison to their white male counterparts, which was 0.1% to 68%. In addition, I cited Tyledesley and Collon as a key theoretical scholars, who gave me the relevant frameworks I needed on the architectural history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, both of which I used as the key bases for my chapter ‘Understanding history: How the past has influenced the built environment today”. Finally, Bell Hooks as referenced in an article by Shades of Noir, played a role in my research of UAL’s attainment gaps and gave me insight into how numerous students at the university feel in regards to my dissertation topic.
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3.3. Conclusion Where do we really go from here? When asking ourselves what we can do to change the lasting impact of colonialism on the education of Spatial Design, my answer is to question ourselves in our current thinking patterns and points of reference. We must understand the power that curriculum truly holds, and realise that by continuing the current patterns, we often limit our own power and potential. The time is now, and it is long overdue to become more spatially aware — not just physically, but culturally and historically. In order to achieve this, educators must also take accountability. In the words of Bell Hooks, “We all [educators] have the opportunity to make a choice about how to engage with our students, but who is willing to truly take the steps to abolish in part the types of hierarchy that exist between the teacher and pupil? Who is willing to do the work required to make their curriculums meaningful to ALL students?” (Hooks, B. 1994) The future of interior and spatial design is our hands. We will be working alongside architects, interior designers, set designers, installation artists and so many more people from across the globe. Our division will be shaping the built environment, and to me, it is of high importance to make sure people from all walks of life are included in the discussion. I aim for a future that is inclusive not only of ethnic background, but class, gender, sexuality et cetera. The more spatial design uncovered from more backgrounds is ultimately how we will grow. My research matters because I am just one of many who are advocating for this cause, and with a combined number of voices, a larger voice for people will move upward. My findings contribute to both pre-existing knowledge and newly uncovered knowledge. Architectural, Interior and Spatial Design curricula have not catered adequately to the needs of so many students. By reaching out to various people in a range of creative fields and recording the results, I have provided concrete proof that decolonisation of the curriculum is a very real and valid initiative which warrants change. I have began my work by providing my own recommendations for knowledge references in the forms of architects, and spatial designers and I believe that in time, the changes we speak of and wish to see will come to action. Our curriculum and staff will be reflective of its undergraduates who are passionate about the profession.
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Bibliography • (Hooks, B. 1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. PDF Available at: https://academictrap.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/bell-hooks-teaching-totransgress.pdf • Bricker, V. R. (2012). Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 1: Archaeology. • Chazan, M. (2017). World Prehistory and Archaeology (p. 197). Routledge. • Collon, D. (n.d.). BBC - History - Ancient History In Depth: Mesopotamia. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/mesopotamia_gallery.shtml • D’Clark, R. S. (2018). UAL ATTAINMENT CONFERENCE, 2018 [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://shadesofnoir.org.uk/ual-attainment-conference-2018/ • Dictionary, C. (1970a, January 1). CURRICULUM | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ curriculum • Dictionary, C. (1970b, January 1). DECOLONIZE | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ decolonize?q=decolonise • Mark, J. J. (n.d.). Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Architecture/ • Mendoza, R. G. (2001). Mesoamerican Chronology: Periodization; The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Culture. (D. Carrasco, Ed.) (Volume 2., pp. 222–226). • (Muldon, J. 2019). Academics: it's time to get behind decolonising the curriculum. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/20/academics-its-time-to-get-behinddecolonising-the-curriculum • Mussel, B (2008). "Aboriginal People" issue of Visions Journal, 2008, 5 (1), pp. 4-5 • Reynolds, J. (2016, September 12). Why is mesoamerica important? Quora. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.quora.com/Why-is-mesoamerica-important • Student Diversity. (n.d.). Student Diversity. UAL . Retrieved from https://www.arts.ac.uk/ students/student-diversity#7 • Tyldesley, J. (2012). Stories from Ancient Egypt. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from 10.2307/ j.ctvh1dnrw • (2011). Data Downloads – London Datastore. UK Census. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://data.london.gov.uk/census/data/
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• (2019a). Top Universities, 2019 Rankings: University Of The Arts London. Top Universities . Retrieved from https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-arts-london • (2019b). Arts Moodle: Book of Units for Course, BA (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design 2019-20 (Course Handbook, 2019/2020). Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https:// moodle.arts.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/815661/course/section/ 335044/19-20%20Yr%202%2B3%20BA%20%28Hons%29%20Interior%20and%20Spatial%20 Design%20Book%20of%20Units%20%281%29.pdf • Farrel, D. (Appendix 2) (2019) • Patel, R. (Appendix 3) (2019) • Wilder, K. (Appendix 4) (2019)
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Image Sources Fig. 1: Reading List Authors • Jan De Cock: https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/belgian-artist-jan-de-cock-stands-infront-of-one-of-his-largescale-picture-id828107212 • Mirko Guaralda: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gG6FRde9sNI/maxresdefault.jpg • Edward Clift: https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/edward-clift-attends-the-2018-filmfestival-screening-of-making-at-picture-id1039133904 • Ari Mattes: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nq94ZFvYVNo/maxresdefault.jpg • Duncan Baker-Brown: https://ecsee.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/04/ Duncan-Baker-Brown-University-of-Brighton.jpg • Daniel Buren: https://www.artnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/imgburen-415014616732.jpg • Luisa Collina: https://masteruid.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/luisa_collina1.jpg • Cino Zicchi: https://wisesociety.it/wp-content/images/personaggi/Zucchi/Zucchi_2.jpg • Susan Dawson: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/-/media/corporate-website/susandawson.ashx • Guy Debord: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Guy_Debord.gif • Shin Egashira: https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/images/staffPhotos/11118.jpg • Martina Fineder: https://i1.rgstatic.net/ii/profile.image/ 694973204819968-1542705932074_Q512/Martina_Fineder.jpg • Sebastian Hackenschmidt: https://images.derstandard.at/img/ 2018/04/11/1304ron01cHacke.jpg?w=600&a=49,55&s=215a1b1106bc2348a9ff2fe7c22415bd • Kenneth Frampton: https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1380860539p8/37489.jpg • David Gissen: https://thefunambulist.net/app/uploads/2014/04/David-small-364x364.jpg • Charles Jencks: https://www.metalocus.es/sites/default/files/styles/ mopis_news_carousel_item_desktop/public/metalocus_charlesjencks_muere_04.jpg? itok=E2i2uFEX • Branko Kolarevic: https://buildingdynamics.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/ kolarevic_photo1.jpg • Geoff Manaugh: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1118367288535789568/ k2L3inst_400x400.png • Michael Pollan: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/ Michael_Pollan_at_Yale_1_cropped.jpg • Paul Shepheard: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8w8nP13dJ0Y/maxresdefault.jpg
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• Cate St. Hill: https://i2.wp.com/catesthill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/tips-forgetting-into-interior-design-styling-5.jpg?resize=900%2C1200 • Jeremy Till: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0017/25091/jeremy-till-header.jpg
Fig. 2: Design Practice Site Visit Architects: 1.
Imperial War Museum - Foster & Partners Design https://
www.biography.com/.image/ ar_1:1%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cg_face%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_300/ MTE4MDAzNDEwMTgyMjQzODU0/sir-norman-foster-38151-1-402.jpghttps:// www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/assets/1b/fbdb0b3020569242e5a4f235eabf8bee77590a.jpg 2.
Barbican Centre - Chamberlin, Powell and Bon http://footprintsoflondon.com/live/wp-
content/uploads/2015/07/chamerlinpowellbon-e1436996436999.jpg 3.
Brunswick Centre - Patrick Hodgkinson https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/
c361da0fbadd43ba60b7cca938265ce5c1fdfded/503_579_4124_5151/master/4124.jpg? width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=384d34db761484f19f291e0ff70c15d c 4.
Idea Store - Sir David Adjaye https://www.arc-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/
2016/10/ DavidAdjaye-07-696x522.jpg 5.
Book Pavilion - Snøhetta https://archipelvzw.be/media/img/large/9571_snohetta-
craig-dykers-kjetil-traedal-thorsen.jpg 6.
Tate Modern - Herzog & de Meuron https://arcspace.com/wp-content/uploads/
Herzog-de-Meuron.jpg 7.
Royal Festival Hall & National Theatre - Robert Matthew; Leslie Martin, Peter Moro
https://www.architecture.com/image-library/imagecache/galleryitems/ 41062.1.434.434.FFFFFF.jpeg 8.
Laban Centre - Herzog & De Meuron https://arcspace.com/wp-content/uploads/
Herzog-de-Meuron.jpg 9.
Saw Swee Hock Centre - O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects https://archinect.imgix.net/
uploads/dx/dxa2tg9i43afjuuk.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat 10. Lisson Galleries - Tony Fretton https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/55e8/8d6b/ 6c9d/b594/4500/000f/newsletter/tony-fretton-001.jpg?1441303911 11. Exhibition Road Quarter - Amanda Levete https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/ 2018/03/amanda-levete-dezeen-sq.jpg 12. Kings Place - Dixon Jones http://www.dixonjones.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015Jeremy-Dixon_PhotoBW-1200x878.jpg
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13. Battersea Arts Centre - Haworth Tompkins https://haworth-tompkins-assets.imgix.net/ uploads/Graham-Haworthv3_resized.jpg? auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&h=600&imgixEnabled=1&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=85&w=600 &s=e0a4876b9b73124e9872c8f7360cdb61 https://haworth-tompkins-assets.imgix.net/uploads/ Steve-Tompkins.jpg? auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&h=600&imgixEnabled=1&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=85&w=600 &s=52c67c975ce36b1053fa42d482813501 14. Design Museum - John Pawson https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/ thumbnails/image/2010/09/08/17/448924.bin?w968h681 15. Portsoken Pavilion - Make Architects; Lead Architect: Sean Affleck https://makearch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fmakearchitects.wpengine.com%2Fwpcontent%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F01%2Fsean-affleck.jpg? auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=2f55d2864bc08b7e 5cbde449fd0148fd 16. Leadenhall Building & Lloyd’s of London - Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/ Ivan_Harbour_%28B%26W%29_at_the_Senedd.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/ content/v1/58c43562a5790aa56a886623/1563955204011-A6DEEHZ2QBG46QJ9UQA6/ ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kInU2uhB6sUNzfUBYP40q4AUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9 mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKcoravjv0RwK my5HHCraM7y0iVYJnU-pc-BSbJTq8tG3_4g0CGRB5FBMWLE5wezWed/ArchisoupRichard-Rogers-portrait.jpg https://www.rsh-p.com/assets/uploads/Graham_Stirk.jpg 17. Swiss Re Tower/30 St. Mary Axe - Foster & Partners Design: (Refer to 1. Imperial War Museum)
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Fig. 2b: Zaha Hadid: http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/12/Zaha-Hadid-by-GiovannaSilva_dezeen_sq.jpg; Elsie Owusu: https://alchetron.com/cdn/elsie-owusu-e03555d7-63b2-488db73a-a7947121818-resize-750.jpg; Kirk Morrison: http://www.gordonyoungarchitects.com/ communities/1/004/013/623/211//images/4635154747.jpg Wilfred Achille: http:// mode-1.co.uk/images/wilfred%27s%20photo.jpg Fig. 3: The Great Pyramid of Giza: (Image courtesy of ‘Nina-no’ (Wikipedia Contributor)): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Kheops-Pyramid.jpg Fig. 4: Comparison of notable pyramidal buildings: (Image courtesy of Cmglee (Wikipedia contributor) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Comparison_of_pyramids.svg Fig. 5: The Courtyard of the Louvre Museum at night (Image courtesy of Benh Lieu Song, 2010.): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/ Louvre_Museum_Wikimedia_Commons.jpg Fig. 6: Inside the pyramid: the view of the Louvre Museum in Paris from the underground lobby of the pyramid. (Image courtesy of ‘babyaimeesmom’, Wikipedia contributor): https:// upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Louvre_Palace.jpg Fig. 7: Deir el-Medina: Steve F.E. Cameron. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/ thumb/8/8c/Sfec-luxor-2010-03-_043.jpg/1920px-Sfec-luxor-2010-03-_043.jpg Fig. 8: Deir el-Medina: anagh, (2017, July 10). Deir el-Medina. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/6879/ Fig. 9: El Castillo: (Image courtesy of Teobert Maler, 1892): https://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Castillo_Maler.jpg Fig. 10: El Castillo: (Image courtesy of Daniel Schwen, 2009): https://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/5/51/Chichen_Itza_3.jpg Fig. 11: Le Corbusier’s ‘Notre Dame de Haut’, Ronchamp, France.: https:// live.staticflickr.com/3323/3634511251_6481761911_z.jpg
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Fig. 12: Pablo Picasso, 1907, Head of a Sleeping Woman (Study for Nude with Drapery): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/ Pablo_Picasso%2C_1907%2C_Head_of_a_Sleeping_Woman_%28Study_for_Nude_with_Drapery% 29%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_61.4_x_47.6_cm%2C_The_Museum_of_Modern_Art%2C_New_York. jpg/1280pxPablo_Picasso%2C_1907%2C_Head_of_a_Sleeping_Woman_%28Study_for_Nude_with_Drapery% 29%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_61.4_x_47.6_cm%2C_The_Museum_of_Modern_Art%2C_New_York. jpg Fig. 13: Fang mask: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/ Pablo_Picasso%2C_1907%2C_Head_of_a_Sleeping_Woman_%28Study_for_Nude_with_Drapery% 29%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_61.4_x_47.6_cm%2C_The_Museum_of_Modern_Art%2C_New_York. jpg/1280pxPablo_Picasso%2C_1907%2C_Head_of_a_Sleeping_Woman_%28Study_for_Nude_with_Drapery% 29%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_61.4_x_47.6_cm%2C_The_Museum_of_Modern_Art%2C_New_York. jpg
Fig. 14: Recommended studios and architects to discover in lecture series • Studio Mumbai https://kinfolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AtWorkWith_BijoyJain_01-683x1024.jpg • Studio SUMO https://news.psu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/threshold-768/public/ 19_Portrait_YDaniels_1W3B3945.jpg?itok=FArgwP4t • BIG: Bjarke Ingels Group http://www.leisureopportunities.com/images/831341_776040.jpg • Zaha Hadid https://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/6bf5cd3/2147483647/resize/300x%3E/quality/90/? url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F77%2F2a%2F016ac57f4a24a85215e902e81bb3%2Ftmp 2e0d-2etmp-tcm20-129847.jpg • Frank Gehry https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/w/images/e/ec/Frankgehry.jpg • Studio Precht Page 42 of 64
https://www.precht.at/wp-content/uploads/FeiuChris4.jpg • Future Firm https://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/c9b38d0/2147483647/resize/876x%3E/quality/90/? url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F4c%2F5b%2Fd80cf3754548a07b4759e93ce647%2Ffutu re-firm-portrait-next-progressives.jpg • Diller Scofidio + Renfro https://d4qwptktddc5f.cloudfront.net/InteriorDesign-Elizabeth-Diller-Wins-Women-inArchitecture-Award-Portrait.jpg https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/architect-charles-renfro-is-photographed-for-outmagazine-on-18-2012-picture-id167971758 • Marina Tabassum https://www.publicspace.org/documents/220568/1825027/MarinaTabassum_bio.jpg/ fae85bcf-6689-3a60-b53e-87d8df6b347e?t=1540893913803 • Neri Oxman https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/ http%3A%2F%2Fcom.ft.imagepublish.upp-prod-us.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb79202a4afe3-11e8-99ca-68cf89602132?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700 • Francis Kéré https://cdnimd.worldarchitecture.org/extuploadc/dibdofranciskr_imagecourtesy.jpg • Kunlé Adeyemi http://www.nleworks.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Kunl%C3%A9Adeyemi_1_Photo-by-Reze-Bonna-303x400.jpeg • Urko Sánchez http://www.archmarathon.com/2016/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/urko-sanchezarchitects_archmarathon.jpg • MASS Design Group https://massdesigngroup.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/2019-06/ principals_ruhehe2_bw.jpg?itok=dU7QoOuj • Olafur Eliasson https://d5wt70d4gnm1t.cloudfront.net/media/a-s/articles/2778-327242252863/without-theviewer-there-is-nothing-olafur-eliasson-on-positioning-the-audience-and-the-notion-of-900x450-c.jpg • Philip Johnson https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Philip_Johnson.2002.FILARDO.jpg • Penoyre & Prasad https://www.penoyreprasad.com/people/team/
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Appendices Appendix 1

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Appendix 2 Interview 1: AMI FALL DARREN FARRELL
So, who would you say are your favourite artists, architects and designers?
I'll start from the beginning.
I in the first place was interested in Egyptian, Greek, Roman and African mythologies. So that included the stories and also, the characters. A lot of that was about engaging in fantasy worlds because I was never, I was never a sportive child... Or anything like that. Even... Despite this(!) [Gestures to himself] I wouldn't say I was always very interested in drawing, writing and storytelling and... things like that. And trying to understand the world in structural terms, but transposing mythologies because mythology is basically an allegory for real life, right? I got into drawing and creative things through my aunt, who when I was about 4 or 5, she drew an amazing picture of a Ford Cortina, which was the best cheap fast car at the time. Yeah, I felt that was the most amazing thing ever. And that was what started me drawing. So, at school and we're talking infant level - I would pour myself into anything creative. So that was English Language and Literature. Fine Arts. Graphics... Craft design and technology. Metalwork. Woodwork. All those kinds of things. Cause they used to teach those in the schools back home. Because when I was a child, the biggest drive in this country was to push art and design because they knew that the creative industries were going to be the biggest industries going. So, I mean if I had been a child now, I probably would have poured myself into the Sciences. That's what's being pushed at the moment. Favourite artist, architect, whatever - early, would have been obviously the mythological stuff. So the Egyptian, Greek, Roman. That kind of thing. And then also later, A-Level period. I was really interested in... uh. This is really embarrassing! [laughs]. I was interested in Art Deco and Nouveau.
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I had the same phase actually
And also because of the fact that she was painting mythologies
with the interest in Art Deco
and biblical situations - biblical stories because I grew up in
and Nouveau. That was
the church. So, when I read the stories about the work, I
when I first knew that I
thought "Okay, I can identify with that because you know,
wanted to study Interior and
that's Christian."
Spatial Design.
So, the ancient stories painted in that kind of art deco and
baroque style. Really amazing stuff.
Yes, so particularly
Tamara De Lempicka. Have
[Looking at De Lempicka's work] I love this!
you heard of her?
I haven’t actually.
was very into Josephine Baker and I decided to paint a portrait
of [her] which was a copy of a photograph of her. I can't
You will probably
also, another reason why I got into her was because I
recognise her work. It's kind
remember the name of the photographer... And I painted it in
of Art Deco painting. It's
the style [of De Lempicka].
partly futurist, and it touches
Also, Le Corbusier but I didn't know it. I was always drawing
on Baroque, so it's kind of a
Corbusier style of buildings.
cross between art deco and
You know when you're when you're young, and you're into
baroque, painting, Fine Art.
something but you don't know why…
The finish of the work is like
Yeah. Yeah.
Pre-Raphaelite, so absolutely
seamless, flawless materials
didn't read enough(!) [laughs] And the other one was Hector
and skin and organisms and
Guimard. Have you heard of him?
so on.
Metropolitain? [Architecture of the Paris Métro]
And she was interesting for
her time because she was
Béranger and his proposal of his project for Abbesses Métro...
basically a woman... Painting
Absolutely amazing. They've all been torn down, because they
in 1920s amongst Picasso
fell into disrepair. Amazing if you can find the photographs.
and all these kind of people...
Absolutely gorgeous.
In Paris. And she couldn't
Anyway, so I fell in love with that kind of stuff.
exhibit anywhere so she had
Later on, it kind of changed, and changed and changed so
to start her own gallery, her
later on when I was studying Interiors, Herzog & de Meuron
own studio and the whole
because of the use of materials and the play at light...
studio was painted grey. And
But it changes all the time.
Yeah? So it's was kind of like um. Well - Because I
Yeah. If you look at some of his houses like Castel
she had this whole idea about how work should be produced, what it was about, and I was particularly attracted to her work because of the style.
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That all sounds a lot like me actually. Yeah. Wonder why(!) [Briefly talks about own experience in school, preferred subjects, finding numbers & equations in mathematics hard the juggling of musical instruments rather frustrating at times.]
But that's because of the teaching style. That's something you learn
when you become a lecturer. How much the way you teach and the way you are affects the people you work with. It's a really big deal and it's really hard to get right. Because you're not a robot. If you were a robot you wouldn't be doing a job anyway. That's true.
It's a fine balance between being human and being a tutor... a
conveyor of information and research and ideas... Helping people to mold the ideas they have. How did you develop your style?
My way of working, and where did I get it from?
Exactly.
I got it from everyone who's ever taught me. All the things
I've ever read about practitioners. The interesting thing [about books] is that when you've got a book, it presents the idea in its entirety. But in between you will have peppered moments of very personal moments from that architect or designer or interior design or whoever, fine artists. And that will provide you with the context of why they do what they do. And that's why until you read the whole chapter and that one sentence... and then understand the whole chapter because of that one sentence - The book is kind of just a book. It remains that reason why you didn't read it. So you have to kind of go past that point of no return and read it. The whole bit.
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So that you get that inspiration. For
Even though they carried with them the racism the
me that's where the inspiration comes.
internalised racism those parents, they were the first
Because otherwise, it's boring. So I
generation that were socially educated enough to
think the biggest task in lecturing is
understand an ideal which meant that when they
finding a way to enable people to get
were teaching a young child like me, they knew what
to that point without realising it.
to do and how to behave. And how to treat me. So I
Because once that happens people
was very lucky to have teachers who cared.
they don't need you anymore. And
So, people who influenced me were my teachers.
that's wonderful, because you've done
Some very interesting people from really different
your job and can go onto a higher
places. My teachers were from all over the world.
level of teaching.
French, Spanish, Tongan. People from everywhere.
But very depressing at the same time.
I think the fact that they were from lots of different
But yes. So that's why I say the people
places really helped me because Barnet is not the
who influenced me the most were
most progressive place in London politically.
people who taught me. Big time.
When I was a kid, it was a BNP National Front
A good teacher teaches you
stronghold. So, we used to get chased, down the
more than the subject, in my
streets by fascists so School in some ways was not a
opinion.
nice places, because it was full of fairly racist people.
I agree.
But the teaching team were not racist, on the whole.
To be honest I think I've been
[I continued to share my own very similar school tales
really lucky because I'm a working-
with Darren. I spoke of the shared experience of
class Londoner.
going to school in Hertfordshire, experiencing racism
Second generation African
in these schools, and understanding why there are
Caribbean. So that brings with it the
such issues in London and even more so, outside of
propensity for a certain outcome.
London.]
I think my generation was the first
generation where racism was kind of
this in terms of black or white because as far as I'm
working its way away. It seems to be
concerned my position is that those terms are
coming back now, but anyway.
political. I am a human being from the planet Earth
You have a whole group of people -
of African - Recently African - Descent. Recently
the generation above me - who were
African descent.
the children of people who
I am black as well. I could be white.
experienced dreadful atrocities at the
Because they're political positions.
war.
Have you read Kehinde Andrews’ "The Psychosis of
So they had certain ideals.
Whiteness�?
I'm trying to be very careful not to discuss
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So I want to ask you, why do you think people campaigning and advocating for the decolonising curriculum, now more than ever? You know the saying, "Strike while the iron is hot"? I think it's that. Because racism and other forms of discrimination are always on the table. In my opinion, they are simply derivatives of human value judgement system. That's the problem, because people are lazy and to survive, we have to pick one thing over another. But the problem arises when people do not have enough information to pick one thing over another. When we are inexperienced, ignorant and our frame of reference is incredibly limited, that's what racism is for me. So, The reason I think the subject of decolonisation of the curriculum is on the table is because we do need to strike while the iron is hot. Because those subjects are in our face right now. It's also because of the information revolution. You guys are the first generation really, to take that on; to have it from birth. The way information is exchanged is completely different now. That's what's on the table. It's necessary to put things in place to make sure that people are catered for. If we're going to be in a situation where in twenty-five years or so, most people in this country will not be from this country. That means that perhaps we at the very least need to and we need to address what we teach, how we teach it and who is relevant to. If this problem of racism is going to go away, it is not going to do it by itself. One of those ways is to teach ourselves different things and learn new things. Learn that Architecture and Interiors is not a European thing. It's a human thing. Most humans on the planet are not European. Most people being taught for example in this university, which is one of the most successful art and design institutions on the planet are from Asia. The basic idea is that if people being taught are from everywhere, then ideas from everywhere should be taught. You cannot invite a customer into your shop and tell them that they are worth less. Or worthless.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
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Western architecture comes from The Middle East, from Africa and all kinds if you trace
the line of discourse. Many, many techniques come from a certain place. It doesn't start with ancient Athens, it starts way before that. That's why we've got decolonising the arts curriculum, because we need to think about what we teach and not be so insular and think that the Western canon is going to dominate forever. It will be important because it's dominated a certain section of human history for 500, 600 years. But then that's only a small part of human history. We don't know what we're going to find out as well. There will be things uncovered in the next 100 to 200 years that will completely change our outlook on what it is to be even human.
I’m interested if you believe that spatial designers of colour have just the same opportunities in terms of jobs, internships, career development - in comparison to their white counterparts? How do you feel about this?
Yes and no.
Yes, because the jobs are there. No, because there are people and forces at work that mean that certain opportunities will not be available. It's a fact. When I got my first job in an architectural practice, and I walked in wearing jeans, a jumper and trainers. Everybody else in there was wearing that. I walked up to the architects and introduced myself. The architect said,
"Oh. So what are you wearing?"
I replied,
"Sorry. Should I wear something else next time?"
[Darren explains that he went home to get changed into a black suit, white shirt and black tie to return to the office in formal attire.]
"I didn't expect you to come back here looking like a drug dealer.”
No way… [I was speechless at this moment. It was something that gave me a pit in my stomach, that I didn’t quite know how to respond to.]
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We ended up getting on well though, because he really was clear! He was always very clear. There was one time I went to work and he couldn't find someone to do a meeting. He was fine with me on the phone but he didn't want to take me to meetings. There was no one else to do meetings, so I said "I'll do the meetings. No problem. He says "Darren. The client's South African". So I just said, "are they black or white?" And he didn't know. He didn't know. He just presumed that they were white because he was employed by them. He denied me the opportunity to go to a meeting and get that skill under my belt. When it comes to young people of colour getting jobs in the industry, I say yes they can, but they'll have to work bloody hard, much harder. Not twice, not three times, maybe four times harder. The way things go are, "Why 'should' I hire you?" - Not "Why 'could' I hire you?". 'Why should I hire you when I've got 5, 10 white applicants ready. I can take them to any meeting and no one's going to wonder what's going on at my company.'
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Exactly.
No one's going to question their expertise. No one's going to question whether they know
how to behave. No one's going to question them at all. "How much better are you than them, to compel me to employ you?", "What do you look like?", "What do they look like?", "Is the face going to fit?". "What are you selling that's better than these other people?", "These other people are like me.". "I don't know what you are". I think those things are at play. But at the same time, I say yes we can get jobs. But we need to be mindful of [them]. Would you say that ultimately, the mis or underrepresentation of people of colour in universities essentially frame the briefs and curricula?
Wow. You're actually asking me that!
I really don't want this to seem like I'm really negative towards the uni.
No you're not negative. The question isn't negative - It's challenging.
Yeah it is. I'm not entirely sure how I would answer it myself right now.
This is my somewhat diplomatic answer.
In a way, I think we have to remember that there are two things at play in the framing of curriculum. And they come from both ends. One end is the lecturer, who writes the project brief and the other end is the government, The RIBA, The ARB (Architects Registration Board. People like that. And then you got all this stuff in the middle.
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The government and HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) set a series of benchmarks. Benchmarks are the things that people are supposed to learn. And they are the people who sets in stone what people are supposed to learn at different levels. Then they set what people are supposed to learn at different levels, in different subjects. When you get to architecture & interiors and art & design, they start consulting with other agencies and organisations such as The Arts Council, The Crafts Council, etc. and they work together with these people to work out exactly what you're supposed to learn to what level, at what level. They need to approach the subject structurally and objectively structurally as well subjectively. ILO's (Intended Learning Outcomes) are made up of things that the student is supposed to learn.
There's a big world out there. But the world out there that we know - here - is Europe so of course, you would be flooded by the European canon. A canon of information that is well known - seminal works. Core works e.g. Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius etc. because they are pioneers in modernism and that is part of a tradition. So when we are in Europe and you have the subject we're involved in - architecture interiors, there's a question about what you know what are you going to learn and how are you going to frame this learning. What do we have around us?
Everything and everything around us is from Europe. But all these things that are around us from Europe, have all been influenced by everything that is from elsewhere. So when we talk about framing the curriculum, I think it's more about being honest about where these ideas come from and what has influenced them. What started modernism? Why people why do people decide, 'OK. We have to do it like this.', 'We have to do good things in a functional manner.',' We have to look at the essence of things'.
Where do these ideas come from? When you look at Picasso and Braque and these kinds early Modernist Cubist [artists] coming up with ideas of primitivism; Looking at Ancient African Art and making a judgment about what it is, essentially appropriating in some way, good and bad. I think it's necessary to be honest about where these ideas come from be honest that we are all players in this game.
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So to go back to your question, "Does Mis or underrepresentation of uh people of colour in universities frame the briefs and curricula... In a way, yes. Because people are human and they've got jobs to do and degrees to get there, and in that process, certain things are left out.
I guess it's also an issue of educating
That's why it's important for me to take
educators as well as students.
you all, when I do Design Practice for
Acknowledging and confronting topics of
example - 2nd Year students - is take
discussion that people might not necessarily
you all to the Steven Lawrence Centre,
even know how to confront.
David Adjaye's building, or take you all
to see a Zaha [Hadid] building; take
Also, who do you confronted it
with?
you to The Exhibition Quarter by
I guess everybody can benefit from that.
Amanda Levete Architects. Expose you
Everybody can learn something.
guys to black architects, Chinese
architects, Japanese architects, Spanish
When we talk about framing, that's
the reason why I mentioned the
architects, female architects. Artists and
architectural and interiors canon. If you
designers of colour, difference, various
have certain people who are responsible.
backgrounds and walks of life.
Contemporary Architecture such as Gropius, Mies Van Der Rohe, Le
The full spectrum of humanity
Corbusier and so on; you've got to be 100,
should be included, because the
200 times better. To say, "I'm going to teach
bottom line is, if design is about
this, not that". I mean that would be silly.
tools for living, then it makes
But, that's why I say the issue of framing is
sense to explore the full
really the core of the question for me
spectrum of human living.
because how do you frame Decolonisation [in Design Practice]?
Then you come up with the best
What I think needs to happen is the
ideas, by not focusing on just one
dissemination of the idea. You plant the
continent.
idea on the table for the students to digest... And the idea is that not only Westerners are involved in the production of culture. That's it. That's it! That's it.
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It's just so interesting to learn about more people, there's really no disadvantage of that.
That's the thing. That is the crunch thing. Because of our cultural programming
here, we are taught to think that one thing is better than another. There's no bad end in to investigating the full spectrum of possibilities. That's what design is about. Synthesis.
So now that we've talked about what we could to, what do you think the positive impacts are of decolonising the curriculum, where you could imagine that we're sitting in a lecture or doing end of year shows. What do you think. Would be the positive impacts that could come from rethinking things like our reading lists and our information spaces?
The process of impact would be that students would realise that they are part of it
already. The good thing about engaging in the processes of decolonisation of curricula is that you get better results from students. We need to understand that everyone is important and that all our experiences are important. We are here in our "univers"-ity, to exchange ideas about the universe!
Exactly. What do you think should be done to alleviate the issue of leaving things out of the curriculum?
We need to we need to take on a broader range of students from different
backgrounds and a broader range of staff from different backgrounds. There needs to be a series of initiatives run from top-down and bottom-up that address the issue of under and mis-representation. But this I think this goes across the board. There are all kinds of colonisation, some are not about race. Gay & Lesbian issues, Trans issues, issues of disability, neurodiversity issues. All of those things.
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Appendix 3 Interview 2: AMI FALL RAHUL PATEL
Who or what would you say has framed your career, creatively? Who have you identified or framed in your thinking, or have taken inspiration from as you've progressed through the years?
I think rather than looking at any particular designers, architects etc., I think I'm more
akin to movement. So, in a kind of weird sort of way, the Brutalist movement has played a big part in me partly because I lived through it that - that these buildings had been built around me and then they were condemned by another group of architects unnecessarily. But they were condemned because they just didn't like them aesthetically. Those kinds of people who were attacking brutalist architecture were inclined to particular movement, I would say a colonial movement; a heritage movement. Anyone who explored ideas within this were not seemed to be worthy, and I thought that the various groups of people were really, really worthy of what's taking place. I'm really influenced by the Russian Revolution, and constructivists who came out of it, the model of ideas that came out of it, the collective, the communal process of what it meant. And I think that Zaha Hadid was a fantastic example of what happened, but obviously like any architect, it's devolved into capitalism, and now the pinnacle of hers is the second airport at Beijing. But her ideas of flows, her ideas of movement, ideas of integrating people from different cultural backgrounds played a key role in terms in terms of looking at what's taking place. And I also respect black architecture there's so many of them but they're kind of not valued in the general system - what's taking place now. David Adjaye is one, I mean there's so many so many so many.
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So, I think that's my way of kind of
In regards the past few weeks, you and I
looking at it. I'll look at it in a way
have been talking about the curriculum.
of movement. My background is:
Wo u l d y o u s a y t h a t t h e m i s o r
I'm an exhibition designer. I'm a
underrepresentation of people in colour in
c u r at o r. I ' m a c u l t u r a l a n d
schools and universities frame the briefs and
contemporary art cultural theorist
curricula?
and so I'll be looking at that. But I
mean, you know one of the things
key elements and they work together right.
in terms of designing space, is also
One is that the staff will write the
what the space is used for. I think
curriculum, will play a part in the
how that space is used for cultural
curriculum through teaching and bring their
i n t e r ve n t i o n s i n t o ex p l o r i n g
knowledge systems in there.
historical narratives plays a key role
And architecture is super, super, Ăźber
in how archives have developed and
white. In every shape possible. And
how knowledge systems are
what is celebrated is a particular
developed. I think for me one of the
European narrative. Of course, there
most important exhibitions recently
was internationalism that went to America
was Soul of a Nation. That included
as well. I think that relationship to people
people who were fighting the black
who want to be involved in an architecture -
power movement. The graphics, the
those people from what is talked about as
spatial use, the photographs that
"diverse backgrounds" - there's a limitation
they brought to the fashion they
of acknowledgement in that. Why would
brought out - the totality of what
you come and be want to be part of a
they brought out and how that has
program which doesn't relate to,
never kind of been acknowledged.
One: your lived experience. Secondly
And I thought that exhibition was
yo u r k n o w l e d ge. Th i rd l y yo u r
fantastic.
understanding of how the world
Absolutely. I think there are three
works. I think that who writes a curriculum is an important position in terms of how that's reflected in arts education.
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In response to this, how do you see the demographics in the staff body at this university?
Extremely underrepresented. If you compare
the student numbers, that is absolutely not reflected in the staffing numbers. Okay so that's one obvious process, but the student numbers are well underrepresented in terms of what takes place in the outside world. So here, we are looking at narrowing in terms of what's taking place. I want to add something else. Of course, representation is important, but I also think we can't assume that its's just by having black faces in high places. Because actually, not all black people think the same. There are divergent views within that, and I don't necessarily think that those divergent views are contested... And some people accept the norm. And so, I think that there is a different notion in terms of what's taking place. I would say I come from a very radical revolutionary background and therefore which is fairly unusual, even amongst those of colour. To move forward, we can think about positive impacts that would come of decolonising the curriculum. So what do you think those positive impacts could be from rethinking the reading list and curriculum in general and the information spaces?
That will play a critical role, there's no question
about that. That has to be gone through systematically, and I think that there are some emerging innovative processes taking place at this university, except they are not the norm. The zine [Decolonising the Arts Curriculum: Perspectives on Higher Education] I had in collaboration with other people who produced, is as a valuable start with both student and staff collaborating.
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There are a huge number of collections within this university like the African-Caribbean, Asian, and African Art in Britain Archive, which is still not being utilised - but research has taken place about who's ever heard of a black artist, which is not being disseminated in this university. It is a pioneering piece of research and work. So, of course there are deep roots and some flowerings, but that is not universal in terms of what's taking place. So, you know, I think we're at the start, but also, I also want to say there isn't resistance - deep resistance from staff. I think it's the problem of not knowing how to do it. They're stuck in a way, and they just don't know how to get around it. And so that's one thing. The second thing is - even among students, they want to see change and I think that people need to acknowledge that. So yes. within this institution, UAL, there's no question about it. They want to see change. From the top and from the bottom. I would say the middle want to, but they don't know how to do it because they've been practiced for so many years in one particular method and systems have been put into place which only work in the way they've been set up. So, it's like an upheaval. There are other larger issues as well. A lot of the staff at this universities are ALs. They're not permanent members of staff, so they are called in, they do a session and they leave. And they're not constantly involved in the day to day operations of what's taking place. There's other issues as well. There needs to be a dialogic approach to teaching as well. Conversations are important. Right. And conversations don't take place because time is not made within the curriculum for this kind of processes to take place. So, these are the other kind of issues, but they're not unsolvable. They are severable. And we have of think in in those kinds of ways. I'll give you one statistic, which is this: I teach on MA Culture, Curation & Criticism. Two years ago, 2018 - The course cohort was 10% white British, 60% EU. They were all white, and 30% percent international students. One student from India, predominantly the rest from East Asia, from China and different parts of that diaspora. And the first thing they said at the course committee is "Why are we just looking at North American and Northern European artists?" The second thing they said is "Where are the black tutors?". Thirdly they said "Where are the Black students?" by 'Black' I mean 'political black', not people of colour in general. This shows that there is a demand for that. An institution like UAL needs to look at its fantastic collections, resources and exploit them for the benefit for the good of all the students.
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Absolutely. In a few words, why do you think people are campaigning and advocating for decolonising the curriculum now, more than before, more than ever?
It's come about because the students themselves have given an input as to do that. The
movement from South Africa was a colossal movement. The film 'Everything Must Fall' gives you are really fantastic feel of what's taken place. The students themselves said that we can't continue the way we have been continuing. I think people want to see a change in the world and the knowledge systems that are created, that are relevant to their artistic practices and they've found that what's being taught is redundant. I think that students of colour, or at least I personally - often worry "will I get the same job opportunities after university."
Well I mean quite clearly, society is structured, where those from a minority background
are not seen as worthy of particular jobs However I offer hope in terms of this university - I can't speak for other institutions - where they have made special efforts to recruit uh staff of colour. There's a scheme called Teaching Within, where they take in 20 academics every year from that background and then they are put through a postgraduate teaching program and then given the necessary hours. Over the last year the percentage of those of colour working in the university has increased, but it hasn't increased even to the student level - but it's increased. It's a slow process. I'm not happy with that slow process, but quite clearly - Tell you what - It's not happening anywhere else in the UK. I think the experience here is a template for everything else around the UK.
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I think so too.
So, there is hope. There is potential. But it
I also want to know if you believe that
hasn't happened. But I think Decolonisation is
spatial designers specifically of colour have
not just about reading lists and things like that.
just same opportunities in terms of
It's about actually how the system of knowledge
internships, jobs and career development in
is derived and then understanding of that, I
comparison to other students and
think will help break what is seen as a monolith
designers.
within spatial design and open it up for those
people of colour.
I think I'll be honest with you. I
think there's huge resistance from the hierarchy.
Thank you.
I mean the professional organisation the
architects organisation. RIBA, people like
Rahul Patel and I'm a staff member at
that. And I think that permeates across
University of the Arts London.
Thank you, very much. My name is
architectural schools and spatial schools et cetera. I think in this place there is a paradigm to shift it. But I don't know how they think they can do it. There's a will. But there is a difficulty of understanding of how to do it, and I think that needs to be broken that needs to be broken for that kind of shift to take place.
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Appendix 4 Interview 3: AMI FALL KENNETH WILDER Who are your favourite artists/designers/
And I have to confess that the black American
architects and why?
artist Senga Nengudi has been only a
There are so many, so it’s difficult to
relatively recent discovery, and I lover her
narrow this down. I'm not sure I would ever use
humorous engagement of space through
the term 'favourite,' in that so many artists/
everyday materials such as pantyhose. I saw
designers/architects have informed my thinking
an amazing exhibition of Isamu Noguchi's
at different times in my life, and within different
lamps/lights in New York, and one of the
contexts/situations. There are certain figures
most recent inspiring new pieces of
who I have always been drawn to (and whose
architecture is Marina Tassabum's 2012 Bait
work I would always want to see/experience), but
Ur Rouf Mosque in Bangladesh (which won
too many to name; and I am not sure I would
the Aga Khan Award for Architecture). In
want to emulate them as such, though there are
2017 I made a filmed light installation
works I really wish I had made (such as Richard
inside Sigurd Lewerentz's 1966 amazing brick
Wilson's 20:50, or Agnes Martin's Friendship). I
church (Sankt Petri) in Sweden, which in its
also draw inspiration from a much wider cultural
quiet thoughtfulness and understatement is
context than art/design/architecture.
one of my 'favourite' (contradicting myself) pieces of architecture.
Who have you identified and framed in your
Why do you think people are campaigning
thinking, within your early career, and now?
and advocating for decolonising the
(Who/What has inspired you through the years?)
curriculum, now more than ever?
In terms of art, the work of Eva Hesse
I think it is such an important
was a revelation (primarily because of her
issue now in that it reflects a project
expansion of sculptural material, and the
that should have been started many
playfulness of her forms). Bruce Nauman also
years ago. There was an irrational 'fear'
inspired for his sheer inventiveness. More
from some that this would negate architecture
recently, the Nam June Paik exhibition at Tate
from dead white men.
Modern was fantastic, and confirms his significance as one of the most innovative artists emerging out of Fluxus.
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(Such as Lewerentz, mentioned earlier), or
It is highly doubtful whether Steve McQueen
that we would wipe Picasso from the
would have won the Oscar for Best Picture if he
curriculum; but quite the opposite,
had not first won the Turner Prize as an
decolonising the curriculum enriches and
installation artist (which is not to say that the
expands the curriculum rather than
gallery system and art world are easy to
narrowing it down. For instance, there is a
negotiate as a POC). Structural inequalities are
fascinating dialogue between the concerns
still prevalent, and campaigns such as #MeToo
and materiality of Lewerentz's Sankt Petri
remind us of the entrenchment of the
Church
Marina
dominant power relations (still only one woman
Tassabum's 2012 Mosque (both of which
has won the best director Oscar, while there are
are incredibly inventive in the way they use
still no black winners).
a n d
light). Does mis/under representation of POC in Do you believe spatial of colour have just
schools, universities, workplaces frame the briefs
the same opportunities, ter ms of
and curricula?
internships, jobs and career development,
in comparison to their white peers?
this mis/under representation is
No, I think there is still an
something that universities must work
imbalance of opportunities. Partly this
much harder to address. Nevertheless,
reflects persistent biases (conscious
there are some great initiatives coming though
or unconscious) but it also reflects wider
now, but there is still a long way to go (which a
economic factors (access to resources, social
look at the profile of senior management of
networks and so forth). Factors such as
universities attests to).
Yes, this is undoubtedly true, and
gender and class are also at play here. For every figure such as David
What positive impacts do you think could come
Adjaye or Steve McQueen that breaks
from rethinking our art and design archives and
through the glass ceiling, many others
information spaces?
fail not because of a lack of ability,
but because collective disciplines
enrich the range of references and sources of
such as architecture, interior design
infor mation, but also to understand
and film-making require access to
politically why the imbalance exists/
considerable resources to practice
persists.
This is an opportunity to diversify and
(in comparison, say, to art/music).
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Finally, I would like to know, what you believe could and should be done to alleviate this issue?
Partly, the lead needs to come from management, but it is also important that
students have an active voice in this. Some things can be addressed quite swiftly (such as changing reading lists , etc.), but the more structural imbalances in terms of the profile of management , etc., will take time to shift. Training (such as the UAL tackling implicit biases programme) is important, and having diverse representation on interview panels , etc. But individual lecturers have an important role in addressing their own range of references used in lectures/tutorials and so forth. Would you say your experiences in the professional working world have been different to those around you who are of different ethnic backgrounds? (Black, asian, other ethnic minorities?) Have you observed any differences during your life as both a student and an educator?
As a white heterosexual man I have undoubtedly benefitted from the attendant privileges
and imbalance in opportunities that goes along with such a fact. It would have undoubtedly been more difficult to attain my position within academia if I was black, asian or from another ethnic minority, or if I had been a woman. I get some sense of this inequality when I compare myself to peers who came from well-connected middle-class backgrounds (my parents are white working class, and were not, unlike some peers, able to commission my 'first' project, or get me into a practice where they knew someone). But such inequalities are multiplied when race, gender, and sexuality are factored in. How do you think educators can decolonise the curriculum — how can they input a more diverse structure into the curriculum do you think?Â
I have been trying to address the range of examples I use in lectures, and to widen my
pool of references. This may take time, but it requires important work. Doing exchanges abroad (such as the one I did to Beijing) is important, but I also think the UAL should be widening its connections to places like Africa, Latin America , etc., where the University is still under represented.
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