Towards a Better Ecosystem
The Paralympics demonstrates what happens when equity is embedded in systems and infrastructure, namely that ‘people are given the opportunity to shine’ (Adepitan, 2020). In other words, it is the result of how supportive we find (or build) our ecosystems which determines how much we thrive. This in of itself is a great lesson, but one that may not be felt by wider society due to the divide between awareness (sympathy) and understanding (empathy). Christine Sun Kim, makes this concept beautifully accessible to all when discussing her intersectionality as a deaf artist. Separating herself into parts, she talks of Berlin’s progressive approaches to childcare, living costs and available studio space as instrumental in allowing her practice to continue (Friends and Strangers, Art in the Twenty First Century, 2023). Just as artists require the right conditions to thrive, so to do all divergent peoples and abilities.
Visibility & Scale
Reframing equality as an ecosystem problem rather than a people problem is useful in the face of quieter, more pervasive systemic blockages.
Ade asks, ‘do we really want to tackle inequality?’ (Adepitan, 2020)
Macro events mentioned in the interview, like George Floyd and Black Lives Matter are considerable forces of change, if incredibly sad catalysts, whilst Christine and her large-scale artworks offer something else. Taking over parts of the city with her text pieces, their physical presence dominates space, appearing truly visible. The work acts as a bridge to her experience, where on the one hand it is brave and deeply exposing and on the other, used as a tool to create distance where it can speak in place of her. It is also a re-presentation of her experience rather than the experience itself and so this act of self-authorship, with applied distance, seems a useful strategy to help change the perceptions of the majority. Visibility and empathy need to be big, but packaged and delivered in creative and relatable ways.
Considerations for my Teaching
As a practitioner, I have a distinct lack of knowledge when it comes to diverse learning needs. There are Individual Support Agreements (ISA’s) in place for some of my students, but these relate to basic instructions such as speaking more slowly. Very few students choose to disclose their disability on tutorial days and so I feel removed from the situation. The process is not dialogical at the moment, nor is there any training/event/artwork/celebration which engenders feelings of understanding and inclusivity rather than awareness alone.
Examining the data, attainment students with a disability have outperformed those without for the last four years and yet the completion rate for undergraduate degrees is disappointing, at between five and ten percent lower than those without a disability (UAL, 2024). This could mean that whilst stronger students have thrived, those with a 2:2 and below have struggled with the ongoing demands of the course. It is difficult to ascertain why this is exactly and would need further ongoing research.
References
- Adepitan, A., 2020. Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism [Interview] (16 October 2020).
- Friends and Strangers, Art in the Twenty First Century. 2023. [Film] Directed by Susan Dowling and Susan Sollins. USA: Art21.
- UAL, 2024. Active Dashboards. [Online]
- Available at: dashboards.arts.ac.uk. [Accessed 24th April 2024].
The use of the term ‘ecosystem’ in your reflections led me to think about ecosystems in nature, and biodiversity as a metaphor for intersectional inclusivity. It is widely recognised that protecting and valuing complex biodiversity is integral to the functioning of nature’s systems. Similarly, we should be recognising, embracing, protecting, and valuing complex intersectionality within society.
I feel similarly ill-equipped to meet the diverse and complex learning needs of my students, and have been trying to seek out further training and information to work toward greater confidence in this area, but struggling to find this at UAL outside of the pg cert.
I think the way you phrase the action needed as going ‘beyond awareness’ is pertinent. This makes me think about ways in which I feel lacking in awareness, and how to acquire it, in order to take action beyond. I am interested to see how you approach your intervention.
I really liked the sub headings in your blog post and how you discussed each interviewee in each section rather than one at a time. The use of the term eco-system is one that I liked and interested me, it got me thinking back to the workshops and thinking about how we often fall back on the idea of a meritocracy. I think eco-system is an apt structural term for the systematic prejudices that people with disabilities encounter.
Really enjoyed how you have written this as an academic piece in its own right, rather than describing the contents of the interviews. It seems that you are making connections, perhaps through the lens your own practice as an architect, to “how supportive we find (or build) our ecosystems”. This is a really interesting way to describe the situation.
You make an interesting argument about: “Reframing equality as an ecosystem problem rather than a people problem” (Brown, 2024), this also connects to Christine’s experience of government policy, particularly that of free childcare, and how decisions that shape the ecosystem by those in positions of power (ie top down) can help with the “pervasive systemic blockages” (Brown, 2024).
“Forces of change” (Brown, 2024) – events that have historically acted as catalysts for progressive changes have been instrumental in terms of society’s approach to inclusivity. Is there a way we can all make incremental changes, rather than waiting for these moments of crisis.
Christine Sun Kim’s work as an artist makes the invisible visible in the eyes and mind of the hearing world. This could be an important example for how we can implement change in our roles as educators/creatives.
In GCD at CSM we run a Stage 1 (First year) unit 1 project about community building and empathy in relation to higher education. This has some really important advantages in encouraging our students to think about ways they can foster community and a sense of belonging amongst the cohort. It’s not particularly about disability but could be and perhaps this is an interesting intervention idea that could be used with students or staff.
This sounds interesting Stephen, thanks for the reference, will definitely check it out!