Tag: Inclusive

“Differences are pervasive, ordinary, and acceptable, inclusion of all students in education is critically important for creating societies that recognize and embrace human variation.” (Baglieri, S. & Knopf; 2004, pg. 526)

My decision to create a resource rather than working on a theoretical intervention was clear from the get-go; I created a London college of fashion (LCF) Technical resource page on fittings and fitting etiquette that could be used by students as a reference tool. I wanted the content to be as inclusive as possible, to guide students on how to prepare for fittings of all performers rather than focusing on performers with differences, using the social model of disability as an inspirational tool to create a page on how to approach fittings for performers with differences in a normalised way.

As the UALs disability service values aim to “Champion the social model of disability. We use it as a tool to identify barriers that could be removed for the benefit of all students…” (2019); through advanced communication and accessibility within the new LCF building, specialist requirements should not be needed, however students need to be aware that these barriers still exist, and how they can contribute to removing them. It is our responsibility to teach students how to treat all their performers equally despite differences.

I am a 38-year-old, cis gender, straight, working class female with a BA (Hons) in costume for performance. I have dyslexia and my husband has physical disabilities with English being his second language, which gives me a further understanding of learning differences, physical differences, language barriers and how important inclusivity can be to people. This has impacted my view on this artefact.

I am the specialist technician for the BA and MA costume for performance courses at LCF. While fashion designers create their garments and find models to suit the outfits, in costume, we create bespoke garments that give information about the character for an already chosen performer. In this industry Costume Creators have no say in who these performers are as they are chosen by casting directors. Historically, able bodied performers portrayed the roles of characters with differences. Thankfully, the performance industry has come a long way in casting performers with disabilities and differences for such characters.

In the film Saving Private Ryan producer Mark Huffam has been quoted for working with amputees and paraplegics to achieve realism in war scenes. Notably actors such as Troy Kotsur, a deaf actor playing a deaf character in the film Coda (2021), who won the Oscar for best supporting actor to an audience applauding in ASL, are achieving higher representation in the industry.

 According to RespectAbility (2021) despite there being an increase in characters with disabilities on screen, there is still a long way to go to reflect the percentage of those with disabilities in the population. With many organizations and discussions about increasing the representation of not only those with disabilities, but also performers who identify as trans and non-binary and performers of ethnic minorities, it is important that our students are well informed on etiquette to be as professional as possible when entering an industry emphasising this representation. When Tracy Davenport interviewed director and performer Josh Odsess-Rubin for Backstage magazine, he stated “As a cisgender theatre professional, I see it as my responsibility to educate myself first and foremost. If I don’t understand the nuances of Trans identity and the proper language I should be using [when] working with trans actors, I will undoubtedly do harm even if I’m well-intentioned.” (2023) With UALs Strategy 2022-2032 having a focus on employability, it is our responsibility to give the students the etiquette, skills, and confidence to work in the industry and be an integral part of changing it for the better.

Fittings are an integral part of the costume making process involving the performer to contribute ideas or concerns about the costume. After all, the costume helps the performer become the character they are hired to play. Fittings are intimate, and performers can also have vulnerabilities and insecurities that can surface during this time, regardless of ablism, disabilities, gender, or ethnicity. Currently, students learn how to do fittings one to one with the tutor. There are no professional resources to help remind students on what to do, what to bring and how to act. There is no class or resource embedded within the course that covers performers with differences. As students currently pick their performers, I want the resource to normalise the idea of working with performers that have differences, knowing they will get the support from the staff and university.  “A classroom discourse that dialogically and pedagogically explores and embraces differences nurtures relationships within the classroom community and leads students towards a broader appreciation of difference.” (Baglieri, S. & Knopf; 2004 pg. 527)

The use of LCF Technical resource pages was expanded during Covid to enable us to teach inclusively online. Combining connectivism pedagogy with student centred learning; they have become an integral part of the technical workshops. Links to pages are embedded into Moodle for each unit and students are familiar with using them from year one term one in their own time, accessing the information and links to additional resources, if they wish, to further their own learning. The pages are accessible on any smart device.

It was important to me creating a resource that was not only inclusive in content, but accessible for all students regardless of learning differences or English being their second language The page includes an immersive reader function without the need for a specialist program and careful consideration was taken in terms of the language and terminology used to ensure that easily translating the page was an option. With an aim to implement differentiated instructions to “seek to move away from teaching to the whole class in the same manner and addresses the needs of all learners, including those who are at risk and the gifted, through various forms of well planned, well-organized, flexible curriculum and instructional strategies,” (Thakur 2014 pg. 1) within an online environment.

The page also includes information about underwear worn by trans and non-binary performers and terminology of these garments, alongside modesty garments by Intimask – a leading industry provider in modesty garments for performers in inclusive skin tones. These are vital in costume and very personal to the performer’s identity. The page also includes the law regarding fittings for under 16 performers which applies to students if they choose a child performer for one of their projects.  

Due to the term ending before completing the LCF fittings and fitting etiquette LCF tech page, I have been unable to get students’ feedback. However, once the page goes live in October, a QR code that links to a feedback form will be provided to all students after their fittings referring to the tech page and its success. Unfortunately, after finishing the page I discovered that this is only accessible by LCF staff and students and not open to the rest of UAL. This is something I am consulting my line manager about to make the future of making pages accessible for all students of UAL.

Through a tutorial and consultations with LCF co-workers, and an ex-co-worker of mine that works at Trinity Laban dance school; a school that is renowned for their inclusive practices in industry; I gained valuable feedback on the page and how to make it more inclusive. I changed   questions in the performer questionnaire referring to trans shape wear. Replacing this with “Underwear” refers to garments such as binders as well as cis underwear, which would make the question inclusive, knowing all performers need to wear the same underwear that they would wear for a performance as it can change the fit of the costume. It was also suggested to add preferred pronouns of the performer to the questionnaire, and pronouns of the character if different. During the peer to peer presentations, it was suggested that I directly ask students for feedback as early as possible in order to gain suggestions to make any changes before the page goes live.

It was also recommended to remove the link to the measurement video guide for menswear as we currently have no guide for womenswear. Noticing this, I have planned to collaborate on a video guide without referring to gender.  This will be filmed and added in September.

The most valuable suggestion received was to add a section to the page about getting verbal consent before the fitting starts, and talking to the performer about what you are about to do to keep them at ease. This is a part of fitting etiquette I missed adding to the page initially. These are all changes that I plan to do before the start of term, collaborating with colleagues involved.

The success of my artefact will show as soon as students start using it providing formative feedback before and after fittings. This resource will inevitably evolve over time through student suggestions and academic colleagues’ input.

This assignment gave me greater insight on the challenges of making the resource inclusive for all when there is a need for specialist adjustments for specific needs. We aim to live in a world that is inclusive for all, and I hope that the students we are teaching now can make that a reality. “The social model demonstrates that the problems disabled people face, are the result of social oppression and exclusion, not their individual deficits. This places the moral responsibility on society to remove the burdens which have been imposed, and to enable disabled people to participate.” (pg. 198)

Link to the LCF Technical resource page Fittings and Fitting Etiquette

https://artslondon.sharepoint.com/sites/LCFTech/SitePages/Costume-fittings-and-etiquette.aspx

Word count 1587

Bibliography

Baglieri, S., & Knopf, J. H. (2004). Normalizing Difference in Inclusive Teaching. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(6), 525–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194040370060701

Lewis, R (2018) Saving Private Ryan’s harrowing 23-minute opening scene cost $12 million to make Available at https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/11/saving-private-ryans-harrowing-20-minute-opening-scene-cost-12-million-make-7701547/ (Accessed 25^th May 2023)

Appelbaum. L (2021) Percentage of Characters with Disabilities on TV Reaches 11-Year Record High Available at  https://www.respectability.org/2021/01/glaad-report-2020/ (Accessed 2^nd of July 2023)

Davenport. T (2023) Trans Actors and the Challenges of the Trade Available at https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/trans-actors-challenges-8338/ (Accessed 2^nd July 2023)

Thakur, K., (2014) Differentiated instruction in the inclusive classroom. Research Journal of Educational SciencesISSN, 2321, p.0508.Available at http://www.isca.me/EDU_SCI/Archive/v2/i7/2.%20ISCA-RJEduS-2014-025.pdf (Accessed 1^st July 2023)

UAL (2022) Our Strategy 2022-2032 Available at https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/strategy-and-governance/strategy (Accessed 1^st July 2023)

UAL (2019) Disability service: our values Available at https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/documents/sppreview/9b5a3805-479f-4388-99e2-bc8366b49a67 Accessed 1/7/23)

Shakespeare, T., (2006.) The social model of disability. The disability studies reader, 2, pp.197-204. Available at https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aiQlDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA195&dq=social+model+of+disability&ots=TBEr70OAp1&sig=1_JZylbo52NP1u0pFOwMzfaU_Pw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=social%20model%20of%20disability&f=false (Accessed 2^nd July 2023)

https://artslondon.sharepoint.com/sites/LCFTech/SitePages/Costume-fittings-and-etiquette.aspx

There are big differences between fashion and costume for performance that are often not considered even within UAL. Most notably, fashion designers find models that will fit the garment, where in costume, we make to measure the garment for the performer. Actors are hired to play a character and it is very common for productions to hire actors with disabilities for authenticity of the character. In the film Saving Private Ryan producer Mark Huffam has been quoted as saying that “we had somewhere between 20 and 30 amputees and paraplegics who worked with us, creating very realistic scenes where we could use effects to make it look like soldiers were losing limbs. Some might say it was an insensitive approach, but they all did it with great enthusiasm.” (2018)

We have had students find performers with disabilities and extra measures need to be considered that the students often overlook as it is not taught within the curriculum regarding fitting the costumes. A student did not inform us that their performer was in a wheelchair and the LCF costumes rooms in Lime Grove D Block are not wheelchair accessible. We managed to create a fitting area within the 3D effects room, which is on the ground floor, but this was not considered by the student before the day of the fitting. Accessibility to fitting areas, asking performers in advanced if they have any special requirements or requests, for example I have worked with ASD performers who do not like to be touched which can be complicated if you are not familiar with this and how to work around it. This is not limited to just performers with disabilities but also extends to performers who are Trans as well who may feel more comfortable with extra measures in place, particularly when getting undressed in front of the costume team, and students may not be familiar with garments such as binders and gaffs. It is common for performers to be transparent with the production team, but its important for students to understand that might not always be the case if the performer wishes for confidentiality. Preparing for any situation that can occur during a fitting and having the correct fitting etiquette can prevent any issues occurring.

It has been a plan of mine to create an LCF technical resource page on fitting etiquette for the performance students for a while to help them prepare for their fittings and creating this as my artefact felt right. The LCF tech pages were created during Covid and have now become a staple resource site for our students to refer to. I do not want to create a page solely on fitting performers with differences but create a page about fitting anyone and everyone to be inclusive. Creating a page that contains information on what kit to bring to fittings, having an assistant to help them, to gender neutral measurement sheets, accessibility to fitting areas for all performers regardless of ableism, disability, or gender. Understanding differences from fittings within the college compared to industry and linking to further information they can access on inclusive fittings. It is imperative for students to understand that treating all performers the same and being prepared for everything will help create a comfortable environment for the performer who may feel anxious and vulnerable in this space . It is also important that the LCF Tech page itself is accessible for all students too. Ensuring that the text is easily translatable, there are photos and where possible videos, to give students as many options to help with their own learning styles.

References

Lewis, R (2018) Saving Private Ryan’s harrowing 23-minute opening scene cost $12 million to make Available at https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/11/saving-private-ryans-harrowing-20-minute-opening-scene-cost-12-million-make-7701547/ (Accessed 25^th May 2023)

Josephine Kwhali’s talk on unconscious bias resonated with me. It posed the question: how we can still have unconscious bias in education after all this time in an environment full of educated and intelligent people? This led me to thinking about Critical race theory and its links to unconscious bias Listening to the podcast Critical Race Theory with David Gillborn: Staying Critical and Realistic (2020) better informed my understanding of critical race theory. It is a sizable and complex topic which I hadn’t encountered before the PG Cert. Gilborn (2020) explains that as a white person, it is ok to feel uneasy when discussing white supremacy and racism as the UK education system has failed to prepare us for thinking critically about these issues. Our educational system has, in fact, done the opposite and taught us how to fit into the racist system without thinking about it. Since many academics still struggle to recognise the deep-rooted systemic racism within the UK education system, it really is no wonder that these issues and unconscious biases will continue until it can be openly discussed and changed.

Both Kwhali’s and Gilborn’s work made me more deeply consider my own positionality, a topic that I’ve struggled to both internalise and analyse this term. I now understand that I have had a different upbringing than most of my peers within the university. I am a white working-class straight woman who was born and raised in an established multicultural East London in the 1980s. Poverty united people of different faiths and races rather than dividing us. When talking about contact hypothesis in A Pedagogy of Social Justice Education: Social Identity Theory, Intersectionality, and Empowerment, Hahn Tapper (2013) states “if individuals identifying with particular groups in conflict interact with one another in a positively structured environment, they have an opportunity to re-evaluate their relations with one another such that one-time enemies can become acquaintances or even allies” (p.g. 415) Smith (2010) explains “Historically east London has also been one of the key target areas for racist and fascist organisations. They have attempted to pit white workers against migrant workers. But this has always been matched by a rich history of resistance. East London is a place where local people have fought for black, white and Asian unity­ – and where people of different backgrounds have come together to fight the bosses.”

Most of my teachers through primary school and secondary school were other than white, something that was normal for me. I am only now starting to understand that my education was not the norm within the UK, and grasp how I would have benefited from this experience. The NUS Race for Equality, A report on the experiences of Black students in further and higher education (2011) states that ethnic diversity among staff is important for both Black and White students (pg 61). The work puts forward that positive role models, as well as a range of perspectives, can enrich learning and demonstrates an institution’s commitment to diversity. This report in mind, the University and colleges need to improve the diversity of their staff to better reflect the diversity of their student body. I was lucky as to have had ethnically and racially diverse educators and role models. However, learning about critical race theory highlighted to me that the content that I was taught through my educational history was not as inclusive as I once thought, as it was not designed by those who taught it.

Understanding the findings outlined in the NUS’s report (2011), it should be considered that staffing may be a contributing factor to student attainment and retention of students of colour within UAL. The universities Anti-racism action plan (2021) may have a target of employing 30% Black, Asian and minority ethnic within 3 years, but is this figure high enough? This may be a reasonable target for outside of London, but as 46.2% (2021) of London’s residents are other than white, we should be aiming higher?

Looking at the findings in Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design (2016) “31% of Black British Caribbean and Black British African students gain an upper degree in comparison to 64% of White students” (pg. 4) I believe that it would be informative for UAL to collect data on each course regarding ethnicity percentages for student applications, accepted offers and attainment throughout the course. This could then be used to comprehend the successes and failures across the board, and positive changes could then be implemented. As a technician, I am not involved in student interviews, designing units, and marking Nevertheless, anecdotally I have seen the course I teach on recruit diverse students who have been outstandingly successful. This leads me to question why other courses failing to retain students of colour? The BA Costume course encourages students to take a set text, then independently interpret this text to create a new concept. This freedom allows the students full creative control explore their interests within their own cultures, or the exploration of new cultures and identities. Is this why our course attainment is higher than others? This conceptual freedom was implemented before I studied the on course in 2006, and I’m I feel that it was a key contributing factor to the success of the course. As recommended in Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design (2016) “a more inclusive approach to the curriculum by identifying more diverse reading lists and key visual references and more inclusive pedagogies, review and/or audit the inclusion of embedded diversity and student-centred learning in the curriculum and create greater opportunities for students to have a sense of ownership over their environment” pg 19

Kwhali, J (2016) Witness Unconscious Bias. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XDUGPoaFw&ab_channel=UCU-UniversityandCollegeUnion (Accessed 25th June 2023).

Gillborn, D (2020) Critical Race Theory with David Gillborn: Staying Critical and Realistic   (podcast) 27 July. Available at https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/podcast/episode/3dfcd3fc/critical-race-theory-with-david-gillborn-staying-critical-and-realistic-about-racism (Accessed: 25th June 2023)

Hahn Tapper, A.J. (2013) A pedagogy of social justice education: Social identity theory, intersectionality, and empowerment. Conflict Resolution
Quarterly, 30(4), pp.411-445 Available at: https://certainlycert.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2017/04/A_Pedagogy_of_Social_Justice_Education_S.pdf (Accessed 25th June 2023)

Smith, M (2010) London’s radical East End, Available at (https://socialistworker.co.uk/features/london-s-radical-east-end/ (Accessed 30^th June 2023)

UAL (2021) Anti-racism action plan and a demanding target for Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff representation, Available at https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/press-office/stories/Publishing-our-Anti-racism-action-plan-and-a-demanding-target-for-BAME-staff-representation (Accessed 25^th June 2023)

Gov.Uk (2022) Regional ethnic diversity, Available at  https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/regional-ethnic-diversity/latest (Accessed 25^th June 2023)

Finnigan, T. and Richards, A., (2016) ‘Retention and attainment in the disciplines: art and design’. York: Higher Education Academy, Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/retention-and-attainment-disciplines-art-and-design (Accessed: 25^th June 2023)

This has been the hardest blog for me to reflect and write about on the PGCert so far due to the nature of the subject and my positionality. There are several interviews in SoN’s Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief, where the same question was asked: “Is there a distinct difference between religion, faith, spirituality and belief?”.  For me there is a big distinction. Faith, spirituality, and belief is personal to the beholder and comes from experience in life, it is what you feel in your heart. This I have the utmost respect for and those who feel these things. I have had many experiences that I can not explain and struggle to talk about with others through fear of judgement and disbelief. But I know these experiences were true and that gave me faith, belief and spirituality and the knowledge that there is more in this world that we cannot yet scientifically explain. However, I do not follow a particular religion. Religion to me is something else entirely it’s a construct created by mankind. Again, I respect those who follow religion and have no judgement against those individuals, but the hypocrisy and intolerance that many religious institutions preach, the establishments exploiting those with faith in order to gain power, control and finances is a difficult topic for me to openly discuss without fear of offending.

History is a topic I love and it truly saddens me to contemplate how many people have died in the name of religion in the history of religious wars, something that is truly avoidable. Catholics vs Protestants fighting each other for centuries, The Greek War of independence, The Soga-Mononobe conflict and the Reconquista to name a few global “holy” conflicts in history, despite the fact these religious texts say,

 “You shall not murder.” Exodus 10:13

 Do not take a ˹human˺ life—made sacred by Allah—except with ˹legal˺ right. Quran 6:151

“It is forbidden to murder, as it says “You shall not murder” Deuteronomy 5:17.

Buddha said, “One should not kill a living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite another to kill.

I am unable to find an academic source that estimates the number of deaths caused by religious wars in the last millennium, because the number increases daily. Religious wars are justified by those who follow as an interpretation of the texts. Yet when questioned why religions are still anti LGBTQ+, those statements within the same texts are non negotiable or interpretable.

Intolerance of non believers, equality for women, the LGBTQ+ community preached within the worlds most followed religions is a conflict of interest in terms of the inclusivity we strive for at UAL. When asked “How can religion, race, gender & sexuality intersect” Bridget Crutchfield (2017) responded “Based on the holy books – they can’t” As staff, we must always respect students who are religious as this does not define them as a person, but I question what is UAL’s policy if a devotedly religious student was to be intolerant to another student based on one of these beliefs. Can we be truly inclusive if we punish a student for intolerance if it is preached within their holy book? Do we become intolerant of them in return? I have looked through UAL’s policies and procedures, UAL’s Tell Someone service, and have not found the answer. Thankfully this is an issue that I have not encountered yet, and hope never to, but as Mark Dean stated in his interview with SoN, 50% of UAL students identify as being religious and so guidance on this should be made clearer on this.

As explained by Modood (2015 pg. 9) “While in general, young people are less likely to be religious than older people, amongst ethnic minorities, expressions of commitment by the young can be exceptionally high: more than a third of Indians and African Asians, and two-thirds of Pakistani and Bangladeshi 16-34 year-olds said that religion was very important to how they led their lives” we may encounter more students in the future who may struggle between their religious beliefs and acceptance of other students identities. This also made me question, with the 50 % of students who identify as religious, and religion on the rise with the youth, why is there no multi faith room at LCF’s new building in Stratford. Yes, there are 4 quiet rooms, but this is not close enough to accommodate potentially half the college. A dedicated room should have been in the foresight of the planners.

When reading Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education (2015) the heading “Secular states and public religions” resonated with me. I do not identify as an atheist, however I do agree that religion, schools and politics should be secular. It is my belief that everyone should be free to follow whatever religion they wish to, and worship when they need too. But as Modood points out in the chapter Changes in religious demography, the decline of religions as a whole in the UK census, is there a place for any religion to have a say in politics and school. Religion is a personal choice to follow, it should not be imposed on anyone in any aspect of life. It should be explored during religious education classes to help understand and teach tolerance and acceptance of different religions, but religious specific schools can be divisive. With religious schools having an enforced cap of how many religious students they can take versus non-religious to avoid discrimination, would it not be better to abolish religious schools all together? The problems that can arise if a religious school is the only option due to catchment areas for families, and they follow a different religion, what choice do they have? For centuries, religion as suppressed progression in subjects such as science. For me, religious specific schools create divides between religious people rather than encouraging multifaith environments and acceptance of each other.

When it comes to religion in higher education and UAL, we should support and allow students to practise their religion, to have the freedom to explore how their faith can inspire their creativity if they wish and foster an inclusive environment.

References

Shades of Noir (2017) ‘Interview with Bridgett Crutchfield’ Higher power: religion, faith, spirituality & belief. London: Shades of Noir. p.32-33. Available at

https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/higher-power-religion-faith-spirituality-belief/ (accessed 25/05/23)

Shades of Noir (2017) ‘Interview with Mark Dean’, Higher power: religion, faith, spirituality & belief. London: Shades of Noir. p.24-26. Available at

https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/journals/higher-power-religion-faith-spirituality-belief/ (accessed 25/05/23)

Modood, T. and Calhoun, C., 2015. Religion in Britain: Challenges for higher education. Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. Available at http://www.tariqmodood.com/uploads/1/2/3/9/12392325/6379_lfhe_stimulus_paper_-_modood_calhoun_32pp.pdf (Accessed 25/05/23)

As a someone with a learning difference, I understand the importance of how difficult the world can be for those with seen and unseen disabilities. I understand that this may influence my opinion on this topic. The difficult experience I had through education influences the way I teach today and how I strive to be as inclusive as possible during my workshops.

Having Dyslexia, it has been very important to me to make my classes and resources accessible by all. After watching and reading the resources for this task, it made me question what else could I do to make this better and can I make my classes truly accessible by all? After watching the film by Christine Sum Kim (2012) I considered if I would have to change my technical workshops to accommodate students who may be deaf or visually impaired, something I have not yet experienced. The answer most certainly is yes, but the how is something that that would depend on those students’ individual needs and reasonable adjustments. When asked how I make my teaching inclusive during my job interview for the permanent position, I referred to the LCF technical resource pages I created during Covid. Step by step written instructions alongside diagrams, photos and videos of processes taught within my workshops, would allow students to choose which method suited them for them to learn. This works in an online environment, but not for face-to-face sessions. Is it fair for students with disabilities to have to look at these resources in advance of the class to have the same experience? I know myself that my own disability meant having to work longer and harder to achieve the same as everyone else, and it took a long time to come to peace with that.

The lack of empathy surrounding hidden disabilities explored by Barokka (Okka) (2017) is a subject close to home. My husband has often been confronted on public transport for sitting in a disabled seat while wearing his blue badge. So much, that he now refuses to wear it and will stand and suffer the pain rather than attempt to explain himself. Because of this, I do feel that I have a better understanding of how hard this can be for students who also share this. ISA’s are a great way to inform staff of any reasonable adjustments a student may need while keeping conditions confidential, however this is not always enough information for us to be inclusive. Our student’s model for each other and are often paired up by tutors especially in year one when they may not know each other well enough. We have had situations where students have then informed us that they have conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder and do not like to be touched. This can be very hard for a student to do and an option to disclose conditions with the consent of the student could relieve them of having to do this themselves. A situation where students do not need to disclose any information at all would be the ideal, but reality is that to give students the best experience, adaptations need to be made.

Barokka (Okka) states that “Pain hides in plain sight” (2017) which is my biggest concern with students. I cannot recall how many times I have told them that their health is more important than their projects. There is far more help with the academic side of the courses, but very little with the practical. In my 6 years at the university, only one student had a practical support assistant and fought very hard to get it. I can say that in the same amount of time, at least 15 other students with ISA’s should have had the same level of support did not get it. The Access Support and Facilities Statement for Disabled Students at UAL (2021) document makes the process of getting support look easy. The reality is far difference which I have learned from my own experience. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in 2007 and had my report to hand, yet it took 3 months from enrolling onto the PG cert get my ISA in place, (They forgot to send it) I had handed in the first unit before I received the specialist equipment from the Disabled student’s allowance and I have still not been able to set up my first one to one study skills session. It is all well printing or publishing on yellow paper, but when the actions written down are not being implemented, there are improvements to make.

Masters, S (2021) LCF Technical resource ½ scale petticoat class one Available at: https://artslondon.sharepoint.com/sites/LCFTech/SitePages/1-2-scale-petticoat-class-one.aspx (Accessed 8th May)

Kim, C, S (2012), A Selby Film. Available at: https://vimeo.com/31083172 (Accessed: 8th May 2023)

Barokka, K.( 2017). Deaf-accessibility for spoonies: lessons from touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee while chronically ill. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 22(3), pp.387-392. (Accessed: 8^th May 2023)

University of the arts (2021) The Access Support and Facilities Statement for Disabled Students at UAL  Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/30767/Access-Support-and-Facilities-for-Disabled-Students-at-UAL-PDF-302KB.pdf (Accessed 8th May)