Here are some reflections on my experience with the Intercultural Communication programme, which offers workshops and resources for developing communication skills and intercultural awareness (UAL, 2025), as well as my interest in the works of Stuart Hall, and how this has informed my thinking about pedagogical approaches with my students at LCF.
‘The intellectual routes’ taken by Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy played a major role in transforming our understandings of ‘race, youth, schooling and identity’ (Warmington, 2014, p.91), and the development of cultural studies. I first came across Hall et al. (2013 [1978]) during my own studies in the field of public policy, and I was drawn to the chapter by Warmington (2014) because I wanted to learn more about how Hall and others have influenced the way in which we think, teach and learn about culture and identity.
If you think of culture always as a return to roots — R-O-O-T-S — you’re missing the point. I think of culture as routes — R-O-U-T-E-S — the various routes by which people travel, culture travels, culture moves, culture develops, culture changes, cultures migrate, etc.
(Stuart Hall in Paul, 2005)
This play on the homophone (also see microteach post) resonates with me. The first time I came across this quote was in a Language Development sharing session given by Adam Ramejkis, about a program ‘R-O-O-T-S and R-O-U-T-E-S,’ which explores critical dialogues for more equitable and sustainable practice in art and design education (UAL, 2023).
It was with Adam that I worked on (a separate programme) ‘Zine’ workshops during the UAL welcome week. The basic remit for these workshops was that students arrive, are briefed with how to make a ‘zine’ – using the materials (pens, paper, cut up magazines), and then are free to create (see figures 1 and 2 below).
Figure 1. Welcome Week Zine workshops at Camberwell College of Arts Autumn 2024
Fig 2. Welcome Week Zine Workshop Chelsea College of Arts Autumn 2024
What I noticed happened in this multicultural space was that people felt relaxed and willing to communicate with each other, but were not under pressure to do so – i.e. they could choose when to communicate and when to focus on the work. The creative work itself expressing thoughts, feelings – and what we can discover in the moment; cultural identities being not only rooted in the histories, language, and culture of ‘who we are’ and ‘where we come from’, but also, and perhaps more importantly being ‘part of a process of becoming’ (Van Stipriaan, 2013, pp.206-207); see examples below (fig 4).
Figure 3. Examples of student Zines created at CCW Welcome Week Zine workshops
In the international classroom, I feel that it is my mission to facilitate a greater integration between cultural groups, but I want to explore a methodology where I can create opportunities for learners to find this without pressuring them to integrate. Culture is the process of ‘constructing a relationship between oneself and the world’ (Hsu, 2017) and, as Hall notes, people need to ‘have a language to speak about where they are and what other possible futures are available to them’ (Ibid). This is a language I want to explore in the intercultural fashion business classroom. See extensive feedback and evaluation of Zine workshops in Appendix, and for many more examples of student and staff produced Zines, see link to ual.amaZINES (2025) in references below.
Appendix:
AdamRamejkis_amazinesfeedback2324.pdf
References:
Hall, S., Critcher, C., Jefferson, T., Clarke, J., and Roberts, B. (2013) Policing the crisis, mugging, the state and law and order. London: Springer Nature [originally published by Red Globe Press 1978]
Hsu, H. (2018) Stuart Hall and the Rise of Cultural Studies. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/stuart-hall-and-the-rise-of-cultural-studies (Accessed on 07.03.25)
Paul, A. (2005) Stuart Hall: “Culture is always a translation.” Available at: https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-71/culture-always-translation (Accessed on 17.03.2025)
UAL (2023) Roots and Routes. Available at: https://millbankexhibition.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2023/07/19/roots-and-routes/ (Accessed on 17.03.25)
UAL (2025) Intercultural Communication. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/language-centre/intercultural-communication-training (Accessed on 17.03.25
ual.amaZINES (2025) ‘zines from students and staff’ [Instagram] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/ual.amazines/?igsh=MWk5NHhidDBwd2t3dQ%3D%3D# (Accessed on 17.03.25)
Van Stipriaan, A. (2013) ‘Roots and the Production of Heritage’ in Contemporary Culture Book Subtitle: New Directions in Art and Humanities. eds: Thissen, J., Zwijnenberg, R., and Zijlmans, K. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press
Warmington, P. (2014) Black British Intellectuals and Education: Multiculturalism’s Hidden History, London: Taylor & Francis Group