Outgoing presidential reflections by Canon Marlene Wylie (NSEAD President 2023-24): Inclusion, belonging, representation, and an unshakable optimism.
In 2023, I finished my incoming presidential address with a call to action, inviting NSEAD members and other inspirational art educators, researchers, and academics to join me on our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. During the past few years, in response to what our membership has asked for, we have worked hard to create a vision for change and develop a strategy for transformation in art, craft and design education through our manifesto and anti-racist art education action. Many of us will understand that it becomes impossible to make change unless leadership is at this work's helm.
Truth be known, this process is not for the faint-hearted. It is a heavy-duty chain of office that continues to take years of NSEAD’s history and mission forward. There is a great deal of His-story in that chain, and in recent years, ‘her-story’. Each link in this chain has a chapter on which to reflect profoundly. I have been ruminating on my term in office from past, present, and future perspectives.
As a professional learning community that supports each other’s flourishing through rich learning and unlearning, we acknowledge how important it is to know history from multiple global perspectives. With this in mind, I bring to the forefront of our minds the years of focus on issues-based work in art, craft, and design, with many publications and discussions that NSEAD has contributed to or supported in the past and as we advance.
Our NSEAD 2024 manifesto is a rallying cry for art, craft, and design that outlines key hopes, aims, and priorities with specific actions for change. Equity of opportunity is at the heart of my tenure. Many members of NSEAD have supported the robust collection of evidence about the state of art, craft, and design education across different regions, sectors, and educational phases. Through the Art Now and Visualise reports, we have asserted that we want to ensure all learners have equal opportunities and that the workforce must be valued, supported and diversified.
I and those who have travelled with me have shared the responsibility of diversifying our representation. Our exceptionally hard-working General Secretary Michele Gregson, Sophie Leach, and the NSEAD team have and remain super proactive allies. Many of the Anti-Racist Art Education Action (ARAEA) group members and newly formed United Black Art Educators (UBAE) have been actively committed to various pieces of work around inclusive practices, diversification, and representation.
We know that diverse representation in leadership is essential in attracting underrepresented voices. Our question remains: whose voice is being heard and respected?
With all the diversity and inclusion that we hope for, we know that the benefit of what unites us is the passion and value we feel for high-quality art education informed by research and lived voice.
I have seen new members who have played a key role in furthering our mission, which is core to our work. The formation of United Black Art Educators (UBAE) is an incredible group of artist educators and professionals involved in impactful work. So, is this different from what has gone before?
I am travelling this journey very differently now because of the formation of UBAE.
UBAE is committed to five aims:
Through my presidency, we have seen a glint of light, another step change, recognising that we are attempting a profound transformation, which will only happen over time. Despite a sense of urgency, we continue on that long journey across and over the rough terrain of the political landscape, profound structural barriers, and unhelpful policies that have had a detrimental effect. Despite the high-speed casualties of time-poor developed projects that we have witnessed due to all manner of constraints, we must continue. While we continue to head in the right direction with significant initiatives, partnerships, and collaborations, we recognise that this vast and concerted effort still leaves us with a long way to go to make the changes we want to see. It is a risky terrain, but we must do the work and continue the journey.
“Hope is being able to see light in all the darkness” Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Through the philosophy ‘Against all hope, in hope’, I advocate that we must have unshakeable optimism about the future, a resilience I have witnessed in many people who have been on this journey for countless years. I am grateful that my parents have modelled this. We continue our mission to advance art, craft and design education for everyone through our brave conversations and actions in 2025 and beyond.
With Andy Ash now at the helm as President, we were all invited to be change-makers in various places and spaces. A learner-centred, future-facing 21st-century curriculum requires us to examine who we all are and what we want for our subject within the curriculum as we tackle challenging political and societal issues. Andy encourages educators to address and challenge systemic biases and inequalities within the art education system by promoting critical thinking and dialogue.
So we witness another step change, recognising that we are attempting a profound transformation. We continue on this journey confident that we are heading in the right direction with significant initiatives, partnerships, and collaborations that have taken place and that we hope for in the future.
NSEAD now has a black president chapter to add to its archive materials; we have celebrated this momentous achievement for our community, so what now?
My hope is that through our intention to reflect society, we can develop and advance art education by planting seeds of hope. I am aware that I am in danger of oversimplifying what is complex. This work is challenging, messy, and uncomfortable at times but deeply engaging.
In my presidential address, in 2023, I wrote, 'What does it mean to have the first Black president?' I continue to reflect on this; it is all about what comes next. Given the Global challenges of climate change, the rise of the far right, and economic challenges, it can feel hopeless and overwhelming. Still, we rise to the challenges ahead of us together.
About the Author
Marlene Wylie is the Immediate Past President of NSEAD and a creative education consultant. Having trained originally as a textiles designer she has taught art, craft and design in inner and outer London multicultural primary and secondary schools for over 20 years.
Images
1. Marlene Wylie wearing the NSEAD President's Chain of Office (2025, photography by Frances Akinde)
2. The NSEAD President's Chain of Office, engraved with the names of past presidents since 1923 (2025, photography by Marlene Wylie)