This workshop was thought provoking as ever, and it always feels a privilege to have a pocket of time to think and talk with a group of such interesting people. Each time I leave a session my perspective has been challenged and, I hope, changed, so that I go back into my teaching with a new outlook.
The question of visibility became particularly interesting to me this week . All the material that we watched touched on the importance of visibility – that you need to see representation of yourself to form a sense of how to be in the world, and the world needs to see you, to understand and accept you. “scale equals visibility and that has the ability to shape social norms” (Sum Kim 2023)
We were also reminded that visibility can also be a problem. It can take incredible bravery to be visible, and therefore, a target in some contexts.
‘because of what’s happening in the world right now and how Muslim are portrayed, we stick [out] as a sore thumb’ Muna AHASS. ( Ramadan 2022)
The article tells of the wit and resilience of those women studied in the face of micro aggressions and discrimination.We all have moments when we would prefer to hide but I think that we and our students, as future visual storytellers, need to be mindful of our potential to recalibrate and broaden the view of different groups in our society, with an awareness of our privilege and context.. This thought is informing my development of an intervention, but I am not sure how effective my current ideas are, and I would dearly like to develop something that is useful. I have emailed my department to see if anyone has a need that I can try and address. I have been working with a group of actors that include a blind performer and actors with learning differences that has given me some helpful insights into industry thinking that may help inform the direction I take.
I am still working out how to approach a positionally statement – and perhaps share this as an exercise with the students. I found the images Christine Sun Kim produces interesting and wonder if this might be a good way of making a statement – visualising your particular van diagram of intersections to yourself as well as everyone else.
I am also reminded again that I need to be more reflective – the first blog questions felt like they were asking for evidence of comprehension but listening and reading other people’s reflections I realise that I must always think about how the material we are given relates to my teaching principles, practice and experience. Victor reminds us that we have embodied knowledge that we acquire through experience, and I find that very comforting (particularly as I struggle through articles written in academic-ese). This is a reassurance that I can give to my students too. Character design often relies on an empathetic response grounded in finding an understanding of that character within your own history.
Biography :
Ibtihal Ramadan (2022) When faith intersects with gender: the challenges and successes in the experiences of Muslim women academics, Gender and Education, 34:1, 33-48, DOI: 10.1080/09540253.2021.1893664
Kim, C. S. (2023) ‘Christine Sun Kim in “Friends & Strangers” – Season 11 | Art21’. Interview with Christine Sun Kim. Interviewed for Art21, 1 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NpRaEDlLsI&t=1s (Accessed: 25 April 2025).
