Introduction: The Creative Innovator programme, launched in 2022 at the University of the Arts London (UAL), is an extracurricular initiative designed and taught to empower students to explore career paths beyond traditional employment or self-employment. As detailed in a previous case study, the programme’s evolution aims to enhance student experience and develop valuable employability skills. The 2023 iteration saw positive feedback but faced challenges in student attendance due to scheduling conflicts.
Objective: Revise the Creative Innovator programme curriculum to ensure inclusivity and representation of diverse student experiences and identities, thereby enhancing employability for all students.
Intervention Implementation Steps
1. Curriculum Audit:
- Review Materials: Conduct a thorough audit of the existing curriculum, including videos, readings, and interactive exercises. Identify gaps in representation and inclusivity, particularly concerning disability, race, and faith.
- Feedback Collection: Gather insights from students and staff through surveys to understand their experiences and identify areas for improvement.
2. Inclusive Content Integration:
- Diverse Case Studies: Integrate case studies and success stories that highlight experiences of individuals from various backgrounds, including those with disabilities, from different racial and ethnic groups, and diverse faiths.
- Guest Speakers: Invite professionals from underrepresented groups to share their career journeys and discuss the challenges they have overcome and strategies they utilised to support them on their career journeys.
3. Enhanced Interactive Elements:
- Experiential Learning: Maintain the experiential approach with interactive exercises designed to be inclusive. Ensure activities are accessible to all students, providing alternative formats and supports as needed.
- Flipped Classroom Continuation: Retain the flipped classroom model with pre-event materials available in accessible formats. Incorporate quizzes and interactive elements that cater to diverse learning styles and abilities.
4. Tangible Personalised Results:
- Personalised Plans: Each student will leave the course with a personalised career development plan tailored to their chosen career path. This plan will be shaped during the course with guidance from instructors and guest speakers, ensuring it reflects their unique goals and circumstances.
- Practical Tools: Provide students with practical tools and resources, such as pitch templates, intellectual property guidelines, and prototyping kits, customised to support their individual career journeys.
Reflective Practice:
I will document the process of auditing and revising the Creative Innovators curriculum, focusing on transformative inclusive practices to support the development of the programme. Reflect on feedback from staff on the inclusive changes and use these reflections and interventions to guide future iterations of the programme in August 2024.
By embedding inclusivity into the Creative Innovator programme, we aim to create a supportive learning environment that empowers all students to explore and develop their career potential, fostering a more equitable and diverse creative industry.
Key Reading & Resources
“Creative Justice: Cultural Industries, Work and Inequality” by Mark Banks Examines the inequalities within the creative industries and suggests ways to address these issues.
“Intersectionality” by Kimberlé Crenshaw Essential reading to understand the concept of intersectionality and its application in creating inclusive spaces.
“Representation and Diversity in the Creative Industries: The Case of the UK” by Niels Kornum and John Chrysostomou Discusses the state of diversity in the UK’s creative industries and proposes strategies for improvement.
“Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in Creative Industries: A Systematic Literature Review” by Catherine Happer and Greg Philo Reviews existing literature on diversity and inclusion within creative industries and suggests practical steps for change.
“Breaking Down Barriers: Tackling Racism in the Creative Industries” by The Creative Industries Federation Explores the specific challenges faced by people of color in the creative sector and offers solutions for organizations.
“The Diversity Disconnect in the Creative Industries” by Amy Lewin, Tech Nation Highlights the gap between the perceived and actual diversity in the creative sector and how to bridge this gap.
“Workforce Diversity in the UK Screen Sector” by the British Film Institute (BFI) Provides comprehensive data and recommendations on improving diversity in the screen industries.
“A Creative Industries Perspective on Disability Inclusion” by Creative Diversity Network Offers insights and practical guidelines for making creative workspaces more inclusive for people with disabilities.
TED Talk: “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Discusses how limiting narratives can impact diversity and inclusion, particularly relevant for storytelling in creative fields.
YouTube: “Diversity in the Creative Industries” by Creative Industries Federation A series of talks and panels discussing the current state and future of diversity in creative sectors.