Meet Jason Forrest: Integrating climate, racial and social justice principle into the curriculum
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 12 February 2025
Please can you introduce yourself
My name is Jason Forrest, and I am proud to serve as a Curriculum Developer for UAL's Climate Justice initiative. In this role, I actively integrate the principles of climate, racial, and social justice into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Camberwell, Chelsea, and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts. Through modification, reapproval, and validation processes, I ensure that these vital principles are embedded within undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
My research centres on critical pedagogical practice and its role in driving change for the next generation of global majority creatives in higher education. Internally, I am a member of the Academic Discourse Action Learning (ADAL) Chelsea rep for Group for Ethnic Minorities (GEMS). Externally, I am member of the Fashion and Arts Creating Equity (FACE) and the National Society of Art and Design (NSEAD) Black Art Educators Network (UBAE), I am committed to advancing equity in the arts, which is the mission of these networks. Additionally, I express my creativity as an artist specialising in collage and spatial design for retail.
How did your journey with academia begin?
Prior to academic endeavours, I worked as a Visual Merchandising Manager in the luxury market in both the UK and European Union. Several university and college lecturers approached met to shed light on my function and its significance in the fashion ecosystem. As these discussions went on, I became more interested in using my expertise to assist young people in finding work in the creative sectors. I then went ahead and obtained the credentials I needed to work as an academic. This spanned from a Fashion Lecturer position at the Fashion Retail Academy London, (FRA) Senior Lecturer on the Fashion Communication and Promotion degree at Nottingham Trent University, (NTU) and Course Leader for the BA Fashion Marketing and Communication degree at the University of East London (UEL), before joining UAL.
What is your work about, and what messages do you convey through it?
My work is rooted in equity and inclusion, providing a platform for individuals from global majority communities as defined by the UK 2010 Equality Act. I adopt an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating sociological frameworks that critique capitalism's commodification of identity, inspired by thinkers like Zygmunt Bauman. In cultural studies, I explore how marginalised communities repurpose consumer spaces to convey counter-narratives and foster belonging. bell hooks' *Teaching to Transgress* (1994) greatly influences my philosophy, emphasising the importance of acknowledging every individual's presence in education. This perspective drives my commitment to integrating issues of inequality into the curriculum through impactful industry-based exhibitions and projects.
What or who are your primary inspirations?
The realm of Black culture and its rich tapestry of influences, both nationally and internationally, is an essential source of inspiration for my work. Alongside the powerful writings of bell hooks, I draw from the wisdom of influential activists and trailblazers like Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Bernard Coard, Bayard Rustin, Derrick Bell, and Darcus Howe. I am profoundly inspired by historian Robin Walker, whose work honours the philosophies of Garveyism as initiated by the visionary Marcus Garvey. The profound insights of Franz Fanon, James Baldwin, and Octavia Butler further inform my understanding of today's climate crisis and the economic disparities impacting the global majority. My family, through enlightening conversations, serves as my primary source of inspiration, reinforcing the vital importance of education, identity, representation, and self-worth for the next generation.
What piece of your work stands out the most to you and why?
The 2024 Reclaiming Narratives lecture series has been a pivotal milestone in my role as a curriculum developer at UAL. The strong support from colleagues has elevated our understanding of how higher educational institutions can learn from community changemakers through public engagement. Each speaker's insightful dialogue has inspired both students and staff, highlighting their efforts to address racial and social justice. This series also honours the unsung heroes whose work often goes unrecognized in today’s political and social discussions. It has provided me the opportunity to present at key conferences, including GLADHE at Ulster University Belfast 2024 and the recent Holding the Space event at the University of Westminster 2025.
Why does the world need creativity?
In today's world of uncertainty, we confidently harness creativity to address complex economic, environmental, and social challenges. Innovation is a powerful driver that adds immense value to the UK economy. It is imperative to offer students opportunities to develop their digital and practical skills across the creative disciplines—specifically in arts, sesign, and performance. Emphasising student agency and an understanding of their positionality is crucial in cultivating valuable graduate attributes. To advance this mission, I have established an internal competition, "Intent," uniquely designed for Camberwell, Chelsea, and Wimbledon Colleges. This competition presents 5 distinct awards across categories that confront pressing issues of climate, racial, and social justice. I am actively pursuing collaborative opportunities and partnerships with industry stakeholders, both in the UK and internationally, to elevate our students' creative practices and boost their employability in fields such as art, design, graphics, illustration, interiors, sculpture, theatre production, and performance. There will be a Private View on 12 June at Chelsea College of Arts, showcasing students work.
Should this sound of interest, do contact me directly via the below email. J.Forrest@arts.ac.uk