It took me some soul searching to come to the point where I decided to take on the PgCert. I completed a PGCE during the pandemic and questioned whether I wanted to go back into academia for yet another year. Personal circumstances would make studying again difficult, travel, costs, time, and managing family life are all part of the mix and I knew time management, and some sacrifice of quality time would be key to my success on the programme. Ultimately, I am passionate about art and design, teaching and working with young people. I want to develop my pedagogy in HE, from a constructivist standpoint, and to facilitate meaningful learning. As a woman of colour my positionality is a key element of my teaching and learning, I want to be completely self aware in relation to the institution, within the course structure on which I teach, in relation to my students, peers and colleagues, politically, socially and culturally. Developing a greater sense of who I am and why I want to teach is one of my aims on the course. I want to develop this same self-awareness in young people in relation to the wider world as I believe it is crucial to developing a meaningful and productive creative practice. I want to be visible to students of colour and to eventually be part of efforts to reduce the attainment gap in HE. My experience of being a student in art school had many instances where I felt I wasn’t supported or understood. I want to redress this imbalance, particularly but not exclusively, for students who fall under the commonly-used but less understood labels of ‘black’, ‘bame’, ‘disabled’, ‘neurodivergent’, ‘LGBTQ+’, ‘female’, ‘underrepresented’, ‘socially disadvantaged’, ‘poor’….

I am an artist and educator working with community groups and organisations, as well as my own personal projects. My background is in textiles, I have worked as a designer and maker of women’s fashion and accessories, in costume design, and exhibited in the UK. My creative practice has broadened since completing a Masters in Communication Design-Illustration, I now work on projects with SME and collaborate with community based groups. During lockdown I completed a PGCE in Secondary Art and Design however, I soon realised secondary education is not where my pedagogy fits. My interest in neurodiversity led me to teach part-time in a private provision for children with dyslexia. This role is expanding my interest in the topic and informs my pedagogy within HE. I will be teaching on BA Textiles at CSM and through the PgCert I hope to synthesise my academic practice, creative practice and pedagogy to enable me to facilitate meaningful learning and teaching experiences, informed by social justice and equality for all my students.

30.12.22