Pictured: FACE co-founders Pascal Mathias, Sharon D Lloyd, and Andrew Ibi; driving transformative work across the UK.
“The admin staff asked for my passport to photocopy, I handed her my UK passport, and she asked again if she could have my “foreign” passport from the country of where I was from (not believing I was from the UK).” FACE Survey
We agree we require greater numbers of culturally competent educators able to future proof our systems against race bias and Eurocentric fixation in our institutions.
We agree that the building of a pipeline to diversify senior management must be a priority.
We understand all learners are calling for diversification of teaching staff, to achieve enlightened cultural insight.
We recognise culturally competent, decolonised teaching environments as essential assets, attracting new recruits and fostering a financially sustainable future—key business objectives for institutions.
So why operate a counter-intuitive system? Our survey findings present the barriers which impair recruitment, maintenance and progression of Black and minoritised educators. Download our report with links to anonymised comments from educators up and down the country.
“In my current role I do often feel like an outsider, but I have also been made to feel this way by students too, why are you teaching us? What do you know about fashion? You are not really good enough/know enough to teach us.” FACE Survey
With sponsorship from Kingston School of Art, and support from CHEAD and British Fashion Council (BFC) our survey reached over 200 educators who shared their experiences, to provide an unfiltered look into the challenges faced by Black and minoritised staff.
These candid responses found via links within the downloadable report relate to several themes: race and white space, low status, lack of resources, EDI expectations, mental health and recruitment bias. This sobering look into the systemic barriers still present in higher education MUST inspire immediate action through recommendations found in the See My Academic FACE survey report.
“The environment I work in is isolating, and often hostile. My treatment has been often demeaning, my contributions minimised, and my initiatives claimed as their own. In my institutions Black excellence is seen, rarely acknowledged and feared. I feel saddened, demoralised and exhausted.” FACE Survey
FACE continues its mission to recentre learning spaces, making them inclusive and decolonised for our Black and minoritised students and staff. Our five FACE pillars: Recruitment, Curriculum, Progression, Culture, and Policy, inform our pursuit of targeted solutions and action for staff and students alike.
FACE: Fashion and the Arts Creating Equity www.weareface.uk began in 2020 to challenge the lack of Black culture and narrative in the arts. Since its inception, FACE has become a driving force in shaping equitable policies and fostering cultural narratives across 30 institutions nationwide.
FACE has achieved wide acclaim for our recent teaching aid: FACE Race Handbook download here.
FACE welcomes everyone. Join the conversation on equity and inclusion in creative education - visit our website or reach out to unite with us at https://www.weareface.uk/join-face
