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2020

We are committed to addressing systemic racism within the Slade through a series of actions to instigate fundamental and long-term changes to our staffing and curricula. Central to these changes is how we support our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and staff.

Our commitments are:

  • We have formed a Systemic Racism Crisis Group to drive forward the agenda of racial equality for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students. This group will report directly to the Slade Director and consult with the Slade Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee (EDI), established in 2017.
  • To make transparent the EDI policy for staff recruitment and ensure that searches for a diversity of staff are successful.
  • To restructure the School and its curriculum so that we diversify our staff appointments.
  • To continue to diversify the range of visiting artists and speakers invited to the School and speakers at the Contemporary Art Lectures.
  • To support student-led initiatives including seminars, conferences, and publications that address issues of racial inequality.
  • To make it mandatory that all staff engage in training on racism and are aware of and are following UCL policies on racism.
  • To involve all staff in implementing Slade EDI Policy for student recruitment and Widening Participation outreach.
  • To ensure all staff commit to diversifying the curriculum, including a wider presence of artists, writers and theorists addressing racism and colonialism.
  • To ensure that the Slade offers safe spaces so that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students are supported, heard and feel cared for.
  • The Slade will consult with students about what we can provide in terms of safe spaces and accountability procedures to address experiences of inequality or discrimination.
  • To hold a full school ‘townhall’ meeting in Autumn 2020 to provide a broad platform for discussing systemic racism, positive action and change.
  • To publish an annual report on the Slade’s widening participation, access, outreach and EDI initiatives.
  • To address the Slade’s historic ties to colonialism through a conference during our 150th anniversary year that explicitly engages with our history.
  • The Slade as a department will lead on these efforts and this process of change. No undue burden will be placed on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff or students in doing this work.
Pigment farm logo
Pigment farm logo, 2020

His research project, life systems, addresses how art can confront ecological issues such as food and energy production through speculative technologies that encourage participation and engagement. He is currently a PhD researcher at the Slade School of Fine Art and The Electrochemical Innovation Laboratory, UCL.

Join on Microsoft Teams

Slade Radio 2020
Slade Radio 2020

Slade students will be hosting two live online events to go alongside the showcase:

Slade Stream: Video and Performance Event, a live streamed event beaming new work from graduating students straight to your home screen.

Slade Radio: Sound work and Reading Room, a radio show broadcasting audio work, discussion, talks and other aural miscellany from graduating students to a sound source near you from 7pm on Tuesday 14 July 2020 (please note change of date).

All events will be streamed on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/sladeschooloffineart

Slade Radio Programme

Mataio Austin Dean
The Jumbee sugar cane and the Cutty Wren
What is the Cutty Wren?

Geraldine Snell
Making a cuppa etc

Hayley Rackham
The Onion Split
Glass Gills

Maven
Don't Feel Gentle Yet Audio
Happiness Audio

Bo Choy
Sad Leaders

Pav Putley
Touch

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley will be taking part in the panel discussion System Errors: Abolitionist Technologies and Aesthetics hosted by Silver Press at 7pm (BST) on 17 August 2020. Tickets are £5 and the event will take place via Zoom. See www.silverpress.org/store/system-errors-abolitionist-technologies-and-aesthetics-american-artist-danielle-brathwaite-shirley-and-sondra-perry-chaired-by-legacy-russell.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley's TRANS-PORT ME and  Jennifer Martin's TEETH are showing as part of Selected X – online programme running from 6 - 12 July 2020. See: http://videoclub.org.uk/selected-x-online-programme/ for further details.

The Selected programme was established 10 years ago with the aims of supporting artist filmmakers to gain greater visibility and to bring new, diverse moving image work to audiences. Each year the artists who are shortlisted for the Film London Jarman Award nominate artists, who are earlier in their careers, and from those nominations a programme is curated by videoclub and Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN). Last year's shortlisted artists included alumni Imran Perretta and Mikhail Karikis.  This programme is usually shown with venues around the UK. This year, due to the Covid 19 situation, the videos are showing online.

Final, not Over - On the Rocks
Final, not Over - On the Rocks, 2020

Slade BA/BFA graduating sculpture students are showing in Final, not Over - On the Rocks at Unit 1 Gallery/Workshop, 9 -13 July 2020, part of a series of four Final, not Over shows that the gallery are putting on in their space to support 2020 graduates.

Individuals can book up to an hour time slot via the gallery website, to view the show on https://app.artsvp.co/a4419b (social distancing will be observed).

For more information see the Unit 1 Gallery website: https://unit1gallery-workshop.com/2020/06/15/final-not-over/

Artists exhibiting: Ishwari Bhalerao and Leonie Rousham, Shauna Cribbin, Jake Fisk, Lettice Gatacre, Ellie Hayward, Georgia Kerr, Pol Wah-Tse, Seren Metcalfe, Anna Metzger, Billy Parker, Zowie Roxanne, Sean Synnuck, Ella Turner-Bridger, Stan Welch, Yom Bo Sung

Emma Hart has been appointed to create an artwork for integration into the primary public entrance of the UCL East Pool Street West building, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

This is the first commission within a wider programme of public art, permanent and temporary, for the UCL East development. See UCL News.

When is a colourant not a colourant? Talk
When is a colourant not a colourant? Talk, 26 June 2020, flyer

When is a colourant not a colourant? Dr Emma Richardson, from NPL, presents an introduction to dyes, the origin of colour and the affect of other factors on the dyeing process, on Friday 26 June at 4.30pm on Microsoft Teams. Join the talk on Microsoft Teams.

Make an Impression II - collaboration between the Slade and UCL Culture
Make an Impression II - collaboration between the Slade and UCL Culture, 2019 - 2020

Widening participation project

In its second year, Make an Impression II showcases 86 drypoint and chine-collé prints made by six east London schools and colleges. These were made during a printmaking engagement programme delivered in partnership with UCL Culture and The Slade School of Fine Art.

Opening its east London campus in 2022, UCL is working hard to make connections with east London communities in advance. Make An Impression II is one outcome of the printmaking project that shares UCL’s resources and skills with young artists aged 13-18 to boost confidence, build aspirations, and support applications to UCL.

The printmaking project also supports the career development of UCL students and alumni: current and former students of the Slade School of Fine Art led outreach workshops and taught the printing techniques to the young artists exhibited.

Read more about the project and see the online show on the UCL Culture School Projects website.

Congratulations to alumna Zeinab Saleh, co-founder of Muslim Sisterhood, who are nominated for a Dazed 100 award. You can vote for her project to produce a Muslim Sisterhood zine on the Dazed100 website.