FACE impact: working with our partners in education

FACE have been an invaluable collaborative partner of The Graduate Fashion Foundation as we strive to enable a more diverse and inclusive fashion industry.

With the support of FACE we have been able to introduce the Black Excellence Prize that enabled us to uplift, celebrate and reward Black creativity, the winner of which – Joy Julius – was presented with her award at Graduate Fashion Week Award Ceremony and featured in Vogue.

We continue to collaborate with FACE to help bring awareness to the systemic racism faced by students and academics within our institutions and are grateful for their ever-present guidance and voice. Joy Campbell | Director, Brand Partnerships | Graduate Fashion Foundation

CHEAD first became aware of FACE in November 2020 when the FACE Team made a standout presentation at our Creative Resilience: Art Adapts event. This powerful presentation had such profound resonance with Members which then led to the Trustees seeking a more purposeful partnership with FACE as CHEAD seek to develop our own anti-racist action plan. Since then, we have continued to deepen our conversations and collaborations with FACE which has meant Members have attended FACE Community events, have signed up as FACE members and supporters and actively campaigned for change in the NSS and the FACE Diversity Student Survey.

 FACE opened the CHEAD Annual Conference in 2021 with a Challenge to Change session and since then we have been signposting members to the fantastic resources and current campaigns available on the FACE website. Most importantly, the greatest impact has been that FACE have raised the consciousness of the privilege and power held by our staff and trustees and how we can become more pro-active changemakers in our own institutions. With expert critique from FACE, CHEAD Directors are now challenging every decision we make to ensure we are acknowledging and embedding a more inclusive and actively anti-racist approach to all our operations. We have a long way to go but we are learning, and we are extremely grateful for the generosity of knowledge, experience and expertise FACE have shown us. 

 We are on a journey towards truly anti-racist practice, and we will only get impact with continuous engagement with the FACE co-founders, and the four pillars of racial equality as a framework for cultural change.  Looking ahead, FACE are challenging us to change our recruitment processes and are front of mind as we design our programme of member events to be more diverse and representative. FACE are having an impact as a valued and vital critical friend across our organisation and our operations. 

We look forward to continuing to work together and to share our platforms to reach out to our members and draw them ever closer to the FACE community. Sandra Booth | Director of Policy and External Relations | 2021