Whether it is chosen or inherited, religious or nonreligious belief expresses our fundamental sense of existence and could be seen as the ultimate intersection point. I would suspect that many people of strong faith would put it at the centre of their lives, affecting everything for them as an individual.
Kwame Anthony Appiah reminds us that religious behaviour is an ancient part of human existence that is manifested across the world in many forms. When we are talking about faith, we are contemplating human interactions as much as the potential existence of a spiritual and unknowable other. Therefore, whatever our position, we will be teaching and learning alongside people who have a relationship with religion through their culture, class, body and politics wether it is visible or not. In multi-cultural, multi-faith London, tolerance and understanding are crucial for a stable and nourishing society.
Simran Jeet Singh speaks of the need to offer a sense of the diverse perspectives within every belief system to avoid reinforcing a stereotypical view.
“there is a tendency to paint entire communities with a single brush stroke” (Singh 2017)
He describes challenging stereotypes by sharing parts of his own life that help to create connections and cultivate empathy with those that might make assumptions about him. In this case his visible observance of faith and his ethnicity intersect to make him vulnerable to discrimination but his willingness to use his identities as a parent or teacher to find common ground (a good use of a positionality statement) disrupt the image others may have of him.
“ show students that there are multiple different ways of looking at everything, everyone has their own experiences, everyone has their own perspectives” ( Singh 2017)
BA Costume for Performance
According to UAL data, a large number of students on the BA Costume for Performance course have no faith, so may need to work to understand what it means to subscribe to a particular religion.
Within my own teaching context, it is important that I am aware of the way faith plays a part in my student’s experience of the texts we analyse, and the characters we create.We often work collaboratively so understanding and respecting a range of views is also important. As Singh does, I would hope to encourage my students to analyse and critique the perspective of the writers that they work with, equipping them to be open minded when they meet opinions that they might disagree with and enable them to debate and question with confidence and respect. I often seek to co–teach so that students have more than one tutor perspective in the room and see us debate.
As our practice of costume, hair and make-up is centred on the body there is also an essential need to understand the many ways that faith is embodied by our students and the people they will collaborate with in the future. This post has helped me focus on opportunities to enhance a students awareness of faith in their practice
- Offer and invite examples of cultural and religious practices that might influence a design for the body and to promote understanding of their meaning and significance – for example, incorporating a hair covering or specific jewellery- and how these elements have been celebrated and integrated by other designers
- A strategy for asking questions that establish a performers needs and preferences in terms of covering parts of the body or fabrics used, for example in terms of leather and fur, or gelatine products
- An understanding of observance such as fasting or prayer that requires quiet space, time or support in terms of rest breaks
- A clear statement on the subject matter in studied texts with choices available so that students can engage in an informed way
- To offer a range of visible faiths within class materials alongside other characteristics so that they always reflect our diverse societies
Bibliography
UAL Dashboard Student Profiles: Characteristics – Religion – Wednesday, June 11, 2025 London College of Fashion, BA Hons Costume Design for Performance. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638681484874833583 ( Accessed June 11 2025)
Chowdhury, S. (2022) Bellecosplay [ Instagram ] Feb 9 Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxcECqt7tx/?hl=en&img_index=1 ( Accessed June 11 2025)
Appiah,K. A. (2022) Is religion good or bad? (2015) Available at: https://youtu.be/X2et2KO8gcY?si=N7oMbyyns9rIN9Gz (Accessed multiple times)
Singh, S. J. ( 2017) Trinity University: Challenging race, religion and stereotypes in the classroom Available at: https://youtu.be/X2et2KO8gcY?si=N7oMbyyns9rIN9Gz
Jawad,H. (2022) Islam, Women and Sport: The Case of Visible Muslim Women Available at:https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/09/islam-women-and-sport-the-case-of-visible-muslim-women/#comments (Accessed multiple times)
I really enjoyed reading your blog post and your thoughts on how to enhance awareness of faith, especially regarding covering the body and particular fabrics. This has made me also think about considerations regarding my group of students, as we too use leather. Thankyou for making me reflect further 🙂
I like that you use Co-Teaching to engage in healthy debate regarding the perspective of writers.
Have you found any particular approaches that work well when introducing students to religious or cultural practices they’re unfamiliar with?
Thank you so much for your comment Jade. I remember teaching a session about Noh Theatre to contextualise a poem that we were using as a design prompt. I gave them a broad overview and stressed the importance of wide ranging research when approaching a new culture, dividing research subjects between them which they presented to each other. This promoted the idea of a learning community and seemed to give them the confidence to ask questions. I also asked a colleague to come and talk on the subject, so they could have a range of experiences and voices. While it was hardly exhaustive, it did seem to create a body of knowledge that allowed them to know what they didn’t know, if that makes sense!
This is a really well-considered piece. I think you have supported your thinking with relevant research.
You have clearly illustrated how, within your practice, faith significantly impacts (some) student outcomes.
I feel encouraged by suggestions you have addressed and real-time issues that you have recognised in your practice, such as the co-teaching.
Your blog piece clearly and positively sets out a balanced view of understanding, living and working in a multi-cultural society. I enjoyed how your insight and reflection on the research you have done informs your practice. I thought your inclusion of Chowdhury’s ‘BelleCosplay’ piece was a very good example of inclusivity of faith within her studies. You could consider a workshop based on culture/faith maybe as an icebreaker or an aspect woven into a project for your students? In doing so, you allow the students to get a more meaningful understanding of their peers. Thank you – such a well-written piece.