RCA Equity & Inclusion Conference

This seminal RCA Equity & Inclusion Conference invites colleagues and guests to discuss and reflect on the relationships between creative freedom, critical inquiry and belonging within art and design education. The conference will examine how freedom, belonging, decolonisation and artificial intelligence are transforming creative practice, critical inquiry and the future of the studio.

Grounded in the spirit of Ubuntu, the conference will create space for discussion, exchange and shared learning and best practices around how we shape more inclusive, equitable and intellectually rigorous environments. Rooted in the essence of communal interconnectedness, Ubuntu proposes that our collective flourishing and pedagogical growth are fundamentally inextricably linked through our shared humanity.

Ubuntu reflects the conference’s emphasis on interconnectedness, shared responsibility and belonging, framing creative freedom, equitable participation and critique as practices that are strengthened through community.

The event will bring together perspectives from across the RCA community and beyond to consider the conditions that support creativity, the value of constructive critique, and the importance of belonging in artistic and educational practice. Through keynote panel presentations, discussions and interactive sessions, the conference will explore how equality, diversity and inclusion can be embedded meaningfully within art and design education, research and practice.

The conference is free, but registration is essential. Book your ticket through Eventbrite.

Some sessions will also be available to watch live online. A full schedule will be published later this year, and links to online sessions will be shared with registrants ahead of the event.

Freedom, critique and academic responsibility

Examining the conditions under which open exchange, rigorous critique and intellectual independence can flourish in art and design education, while remaining attentive to ethical responsibility, care and institutional accountability.

Belonging, inclusion and the student experience

Exploring how studio culture, pedagogy and institutional practice shape students’ sense of agency, recognition and belonging, and how inclusive environments can support creative confidence and participation.

Decolonising Curriculum and Widening Participation

Considering how art and design curricula can be reimagined to challenge inherited canons, expand representation and knowledge systems, and strengthen access, progression and success for underrepresented groups.

Artificial intelligence and the future of art and design research and education

Addressing the ethical, pedagogical and creative implications of AI for teaching, learning and making, including questions of authorship, assessment, inclusion, and the evolving role of the studio in an AI-shaped landscape.