The results of the NUS survey informed the partnership project developed between Diversity Lewes and Dr Jess Moriarty from the University of Brighton.
The partners devised and ran three creative workshops at Brighton Museum that sought to engage members of the Minority Ethnic community in Sussex, as well as University of Brighton students and staff, to work on archival material, textiles and prose.
The workshops focused on identity and clothing and looked at the history of the Khanga, which is a sarong popular in parts of Africa (Kalume et al. 2018). These fabrics contain symbols and messages that relate to autobiographical experiences including empowering sayings and statements.
The workshops helped participants to devise texts about their identity that they then inscribed using textiles within garments that have significant meaning to them. The workshops also generated material for an exhibition during Black History Month, held at Brighton Dome and at the university's Falmer campus. Additionally, the partnership has also initiated an interdisciplinary network with combined expertise to devise a new University of Brighton course module.