United NSEAD Black Art Educators (UBAE) Network

We use the term Black in a political context to encompass 'all members who self-identify as Black, Asian and any other minoritised groups who do not identify themselves as ‘white'.

UBAE is committed to five aims:

• Creating a network to support the emotional wellbeing and resilience of Black Art Educators, celebrating their cultures and experiences
• Promoting greater understanding of racism in education spaces, and challenging racism from within the system
• Building an education system based on equity, respect and love (Ubuntu)
• Challenging Eurocentric understandings of art, pedagogy and activism through Black perspectives
• Connecting, enabling, and showcasing the talent of diverse educators, with the aim of inspiring future generations and opening up new possibilities within education and careers

When do we meet:

Twilight meetings take place the first Thursday in every month, on Zoom.

Founding network members:

Immediate Past President Marlene Wylie - project lead for Visualise and Oak secondary curriculum lead

Emily Gopaul - Primary Art and Design educator and Oak art and design lead

Di Minnicucci - Secondary Art and Design educator 

Rose Sinclair MBE - curator, lecturer and Art and Design educator

Kevin Dalton-Johnson - practising artist, educator and researcher

We find inspiration in the Bantu concept of Ubuntu, described by Desmond Tutu as the idea that ‘We are created for a delicate network of relationships, of interdependence with our fellow human beings, with the rest of creation.’

Quote from Primary Art Consultant and UBAE member, Emily Gopaul. Emily Identifies as an Indo-Guyanese Londoner:

'I am fortunate to have been there with Marlene Wylie and others at the inception of this group. It came about against a backdrop of Covid and the killing of George Floyd. At the time many of us art educators were feeling the strain and it transpired that the global majority or Black members of our ARAE (Anti Racist Art Education) group were in need of a separate forum, just for us. As individuals engaged with art education in various ways, from teaching full-time to consulting, we were experiencing the fatigue of emotional labour. We were increasingly being asked to explain, produce content and present around subjects of race and racism. We also continued to encounter microaggressions in our individual settings and were often finding ourselves triggered into recalling incidents of racism and problematic behaviours in our past. We needed to talk, to listen and be listened to by people who would understand. People who don't necessarily need the nuances of our lived experiences explained to them, they just "got it".

So we decided a safe space was needed and a few years later, after many more conversations we are proud to have the UBAE network.

UBAE continues to be a work in progress and it will evolve with the conversations and members at its heart. We know that not all Black individuals in art education feel called to activism or sharing, and that some are deep into a journey of activism and self discovery - we want to welcome you all. All perspectives are valued and we come with open hearts and ears. Open to having our minds changed, to sharing book titles, to smiling and nodding in agreement and to opening up to the possibilities of change and collaboration that can come from a network like this. I always leave conversations feeling a little validated, a lot inspired and with plenty of resources to further my thoughts, should I desire. A warm welcome awaits you!'

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