“Who’s in the Room?" Crossing cultures, collaborating

“Who’s in the Room?” is a collaborative project at University of the Arts London. Taking language and culture as a springboard, its aim is that students learn from and engage with one another in a spirit of mutual curiosity, respect and friendship. It was piloted in Autumn 2022 as a joint venture between one specific course (MA Fine Art: Year One) and UAL’s Intercultural Communications programme. The concept was inspired by an extracurricular initiative called the Language-Art Project - which brings students together from across UAL, to create art on the theme of language. It was felt that something similar could be embedded into a course curriculum, particularly at an early stage. It might thus play a role in breaking the ice among a culturally and linguistically
diverse cohort.

The pilot consisted of three workshops (two full-day, one half day):

• The first was devoted to Name Exploration. Names are rich and multi-faceted, and we relate to them with potential ambivalence and contradictions. They provide a route through which students get to know one another, on many levels.

• The second workshop was entitled “What do we mean by ‘meaning’?” The morning session was devoted to a discussion of language and, in particular, the space where comprehension and incomprehension co-exist. For the afternoon session, students were asked to bring in an object that held a personal and/or cultural significance for them. The ensuing activity involved interpreting these objects collaboratively and creatively.

• In the final workshop, a recent graduate and a Year Two student presented their own projects – which are rooted in the strange and captivating space where language and art meet.

The lively discussions and blossoming of possibilities indicate that “Who’s in the Room?” could continue in many possible directions. Ultimately, it could foster an environment where all are visible, acknowledged and welcomed.