Through an excellent example of inter-disciplinary collaboration, Westminster lecturers and Film BA Honours students created, for Fashion Academics Creating Equality (FACE), the short film entitled ‘Fashion Needs Colour’, to inspire and encourage young creatives of colour to consider futures in fashion, design and related industries.
Joyce Thornton and Francesca Zerenghi, both lecturers in the Westminster School of Arts, worked with Westminster Enterprise Network (WeNetwork) who recruited four passionate Westminster Film BA students, providing them with funding and support to produce the film.
The four students Anna Halasz, Diandra Cimut, Andrea Barbousu and Zeibunnisha Omar were given a brief to create a film for FACE which could inspire young creatives of colour to consider futures in fashion, design and related industries.
The film features students of colour who are studying Fashion in higher education and some recent graduates who share their experiences and personal narratives. They discuss the challenges and rewards of pursuing a creative career at university, as well as their individual personal style, projects and attitudes.
The project group were motivated by the belief that opportunities need to be opened up and highlighted for students of colour, starting in a school environment. The film was envisaged as a way to start extensive discussion about creative career opportunities at a crucial stage of a young person's development, and encouraging teenagers, their parents, carers, and teachers to value creativity as much as academic success.
FACE was established to challenge the lack of Black and Brown academics in the education system, as this directly impacts the experience of all young creatives, especially Black and Brown students. FACE seeks acknowledgement for the contribution of Black and Brown culture to creativity, history, society and fashion. The organisation was founded by Sharon Lloyd, Course Director at Southampton Solent University; Pascal Matthias, Senior Teaching Fellow at the Winchester School of Arts; and Andrew Ibi, Course Leader at Liverpool John Moores University. In a recently published video FACE explains how its Associates have been working together, despite being from a large range of universities.
Fashion Needs Colour is the first outcome from the FACE Associates’ Widening Participation sub-group, and is intended to be used by all institutions throughout the UK and their outreach organisations.
Speaking about the project, Caryn Franklin MBE, Broadcaster, Fashion commentator and FACE member, said: “Huge thanks to the team at Westminster and the volunteers featured. It has been an amazing experience to see this idea come to fruition, produced to such a high standard. We now have a FACE YouTube channel, and ‘Fashion Needs Colour’ is our first film.”
The short film, premiered on stage in Manchester, at Northern Fashion Week on 9 July 2022 and will be promoted in September via the British Fashion Council and the Council for Higher Education Art and Design.
Fashion Needs Colour will also be presented and discussed at the FACE Summit titled ‘FACE and RACE’, taking place at Central Saint Martins (CSM) in Kings Cross, and online on 13-14 October, and features two Westminster Fashion Design BA Honours students, Nothando Ngwawaira and Grace Tayo.
Joyce Thornton, Senior Tutor in Fashion Design at Westminster, said: “I feel that this outcome is a great testament to the power of collaboration across disciplines, whilst working with an external client with a 'real-world' need, and it has been a pleasure and a great learning experience for all involved.”
WeNetwork is the University’s entrepreneurial community, supporting Westminster students and graduates to work with businesses, develop entrepreneurial skills and go freelance or found start-ups. The team is passionate about bringing businesses, students and academics together to collaborate on projects.
Contact WeNetwork if you have any great projects in mind.
