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It has been more than ten months since I last blogged, and life’s many demands have taken precedence. Balancing multiple roles inevitably brought pressure, and the overwhelming stress towards the end of the year only added to it. Just before Christmas, I received the unsettling news that my two-day fractional role was becoming redundant. The Christmas season became a time of deep reflection—assessing my craft skills, PhD research, and university work. I needed space to process, regroup, and map out new opportunities for the future.

Amongst the chaos, knitting became a source of solace, offering a calming and meditative escape from emotional upheaval. It eased my anxiety and provided a sense of stability. Over time, a few individuals commissioned me to create knitted pieces for their loved ones, and seeing their joy in receiving these handmade garments has been incredibly fulfilling. I also took the plunge into artisan indoor markets, which turned out to be a wonderful experience—not just for showcasing my work but also for connecting with fellow creatives and fostering a sense of community.

Building a community of craft enthusiasts has always been close to my heart. It is about bringing like-minded makers together, encouraging collaboration, and creating a space for sharing ideas and supporting one another. Given this, I have organised a few knowledge-sharing sessions with colleagues at UAL. These sessions have not only enriched my professional development and research on cultural identity and ethnic clothing in evolving spaces but also allowed me to extend these conversations beyond academia. Engaging with external craft communities has been a rewarding way to bridge knowledge and creativity, strengthening connections both within and outside the university.

In April 2023, I finished reading the book “Mahatma Gandhi, An Autobiography – The Story of My Experiments with Truth”. The version I read had been translated from the original Gujarati into English by Mahadev Desai. Mahadev was an Indian independence activist, scholar, and writer, was best remembered as Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary.

On reflection, Gandhi’s original purpose was not to write a real autobiography, but his intentions were to tell the story of his experiments with truth, and their spiritual value. However, the style of writing would eventually take shape as an autobiography. I have now learnt so much about Mahatma Gandhi’s life from a young age to adulthood – a journey that allowed him to be open minded to these experiments, discovering and searching for himself.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2^nd October 1869 and raised in a Hindu Family. At the age of 13 he was betrothed without his knowledge. Nevertheless, he came to be fond of his child/wife, Kasturbai who was illiterate, but independent, simple, and reserved. During those days child marriages were widespread in communities in India and was rooted in gender inequality.

At 16, Gandhi’s wife was expecting her first child, and at 18, Gandhi left for England, and this was to be a long separation from his wife and child. Given Gandhi was born into the Vaishnava faith, he found the Bhagavad Gita an insightful book, (the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most prominent Hindu texts, forming a part of the Indian epic known as Mahabharata) offering universal concepts of faith, duty, and morality than the Manusmriti (an ancient legal text or ‘dharmashastra’ of Hinduism. It describes the social system from the time of the Aryans) is full of customs, Sanskrit law code and advice.

After much fighting to convince his parents to allow him to study in England, he finally made his first trip there alone by boat. It took time to adjust to London and to becoming an English ‘gentleman.’ Gandhi read plenty of books, bought black suits from Bond Street, took dancing classes, invested in a violin, and had elocution lessons to perfect his English. He also kept account of every farthing spent and all expenses were meticulously calculated. Gandhi was elected to the executive committee of ‘The London Vegetarian Society’ and made it a point to attend every meeting without fail. However, whilst others expressed their opinions, he always felt tongue-tied, and sat in silence and listened. Despite being shy, he has since thought the shyness was his shield, allowing him to grow and helping his discernment of truth. 

Gandhi passed his bar examinations on 10th June 1891, enrolled in the High Court on the 11^th and sailed home to India on the 12th of June. Sadly, on his arrival, he came to learn that his mother passed away. After some time, his friends advised him to go to Mumbai to gain experience of the High Court and to study Indian law. Whilst in Mumbai, his brother tried to get him briefs but he found the study of Indian law tedious.

In April 1893 he set off to South Africa to work for a law firm called Dada Abdulla & Co. He was hardly going to be barrister so whilst working for the law firm he used that opportunity to explore the country bringing new experiences. Gandhi had also faced first-hand racism on his way to Pretoria on a train as a coloured man, he was removed from the first-class compartment despite having a first-class ticket. Gandhi had argued with them, but sadly lost a symptom of the deep disease of the racial prejudice of the time. He began to think whether he should fight for his rights or go back to India. After being in South Africa for 3 years, in 1896 he asked to go back to India for 6 months to fetch his wife and children. 

On a boat to Natal with his family and knowing that the white community were after his blood, he was attacked. Once Gandhi was off the ship in Natal, sporting a few bruises from his (Caucasian) assailants, the Secretary of State for the Colonies asked the Natal government to prosecute his assailants. Gandhi replied,” I do not want to prosecute anyone. It is possible I may be able to identify one or two of them, but what is the use of getting them punished? Besides, I do not hold the assailants to blame. They were given to understand that I had made exaggerated statements in India about the Caucasians in Natal and insulted them. If they believed these reports, it is no wonder they were enraged. I’m sure if the truth becomes known, they will be sorry for their conduct “. Gandhi was known to be forgiving of all humans and having no anger against those who had wronged him.

He was continuously searching and pondering over becoming a Brahamcharya (Brahamcharya is a concept within Indian religions that literally means “conduct consistent with Brahman” or “on the path of Brahman”. The Sanskrit term is derived from Brahman, meaning “Ultimate Reality” or “Divine Creator,” and charya, meaning “to move” or “to follow.” Brahmacharya is also frequently translated as “right use of energy.” Lochtefeld, James, 2023) including its complications. After much thought, he took the decision on becoming a Brahamcharya, which led to so many changes, the first being that he stopped sharing the same bed with his wife. Gandhi had been observing Brahamcharya since 1900 and then emerged the birth of Satyagraha, a word coined by Gandhi – (sat=truth, Agraha = firmness). Gandhi’s first experience in jail was in 1908 and by then his diet was modified, but soon afterward he decided to live on a pure fruit diet. 

Years later, Gandhi was invited to a war conference in Delhi by the Viceroy, Mountbatten, but leaders like the Ali brothers were excluded. Everyone spoke highly of the Ali brothers, Shaukat Ali and Mohamed Ali Jauhar, who were the leaders of the Kailafat Movement, which rallied support among Indian Muslims for the Sultan of the Ottoman empire. Gandhi had observed in South Africa that there was no genuine friendship between the Hindus and the Muslims.

At the conference, Gandhi has asked permission to speak in Hindi and was accepted, but that he also speaks in English too. Gandhi had no speech, but one sentence to this effect, “with a full sense of my responsibility I beg to support the resolution“. He was congratulated by many for his speech since it was the first instance in living memory of anyone speaking in Hindi at such a conference. However, it hurt Gandhi’s national pride to know that the language of the country should be taboo in meetings held in the country and that a speech there in Hindi by a stray individual like himself should be a matter for congratulations. Incidents like these are reminders of how low the state had been reduced to.

Mahatma Gandhi, a freedom fighter for India, who advocated nonviolent resistance, faced discrimination from the British and became a respected leader by being the voice of the oppressed communities of India. A phenomenal journey of achievements which should be celebrated! 

Lochtefeld, James, ed. (13 August 2023). “Brahmacharya”. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Vol. 1: A–M. Rosen Publishing. p. 120

I recently watched a movie called Gangubai Kathiawadi staring actress Alia Bhatt based on a true story. It was the extraordinary story of Gangubai, a matriarch, a prostitute, an Indian social activist, and the chief of the brothel in Kathiawadi. Gangubai was known for fighting rights for more than 3,000 sex workers. She was named Ganga, since birth and had a dream to be a big star in the film industry until one day, she ran away with her suitor Ramnik Lal who promised to fulfil these dreams and unknowingly she was sold into prostitution by him. Since working as a prostitute, she changed her name to Gangubai and everyone used to respectfully call her Gangubai Ganga Maa (mother). Many women in India have either been coerced or abducted and then sold into prostitution, but sadly they were unable to go back home to their families because they were tainted, and because they carried the shame of being a prostitute. These brothels were establishments dating back to colonial times and since Gangubai was referred to as the Madam of Kamathipura and was the most influential pimp in the city, her strong connections led to justice for the sex workers between 1947 – 64. It was during that time, allegedly she met Jawaharlal Nehru to discuss the dilemma of sex workers and improve their living conditions. However, but these women still face prejudices today.

Sex workers are considered as ‘women of the night’, facing stigma and ostracization during the day. I was applauding Gangubai during the film for her speech given at a rally where she spoke from her heart and engaged the audience:

“All of you, sitting here must have an occupation or business? Someone here is probably a doctor, engineer or teacher? A qualified person sells his intelligence, and we sell our bodies.  We work bloody hard! What is wrong with that. Why do they object only to our establishments? Why is our profession seen as immoral? Men from our neighbourhood come to ours and yet our neighbourhood is scandalous. Why? Do you know what the oldest profession in the world is? Prostitution! Without us, even heaven is incomplete. You must give us some respect, don’t you think? To tell you the truth, we have more dignity than you. Ask me how? You lose your dignity once and it is gone forever. We sell our dignity every night. Yet, it does not seem to run out. No matter whoever turns up at our doorstep, we don’t judge them, it is our principle! We don’t ask your religion or caste, dark skinned or light skinned, rich or poor, everyone pays the same rate. When we don’t discriminate among people, then why do you discriminate against us? Why are we excluded from your society? The minister who was preaching about unity and equality…, visit us some time, we practice what we preach! It is not that we don’t matter to people, we do, just like politicians, we are their votes; to policemen, we are currency notes, to men we are winter coats, and to women, you all know who we are…..We have fire in us and yet bloom like a rose. We satisfy the lust of men and protect the integrity of women. Just imagine, if there was no Kamathipura, this city would turn into a jungle, women will be raped, families will fall apart, relationships will end, and our glorious Indian culture will turn to dust. And you will be responsible for this! We guard not only our dignity, but also the dignity of society, that’s why I am proud of being a prostitute just as you are of being a doctor or a teacher. You are applauding to my speech, but it’s funny that you’re still hell bent on making us homeless. And if that is not enough, you want to throw our children out of school too. I want to ask you all something truthfully – Don’t our children have the right to education? Aren’t our children like your children, the future of India? [They all agree with her] Then it’s decided that the women of Kamathipura will not be homeless, and our children will get the right education. And we will get our right to live in society with dignity!

There we have it, a well said speech reflecting on inclusion, diversity, and equality. The above is based in India, but elsewhere in the world sex workers are driven by a complex intersection of social and economic factors in which poverty, unemployment and inequality are key drivers too. We need to stop judging them and start treating them with respect, kindness and I only hope they receive the same rights as us!

I first came across the concept of literature review whilst writing my dissertation – it was not the easiest idea to comprehend initially and some of my peers felt the same way. Since it was considered the most challenging element of the dissertation, I started with this, as the researching side of it can take time.

My understanding of literature review is reviewing secondary research that is related to your topic and synthesizing the data then applying your evaluative and critical analysis. The sources of such research can stem from books, magazine articles, journals, reports, websites etc.

Academic Support online had a resource available for students on writing a dissertation, which covers research questions, methodology, literature, abstract and so forth. It states the following, which now makes perfect sense to me:

“Some, but not all, dissertations use a literature review. If this applies to your project, your literature review might be included within the introduction alongside your research methodology. Alternatively, you could be asked to write your literature review as a separate section. In essence, the literature review should reflect your confidence within a field of study, synthesising and summarising prior research in a critical and organised way.

Pat Thompson (University of Nottingham) asks us to use the metaphor of a sorting through items in a wardrobe when composing a literature review. We have an entire wardrobe of research, but there are certain configurations or outfits that suit our dissertation best. Some reading might be sent to the charity shop or the back of a drawer, whilst other books are foundational to our research and need to be displayed.”

There are 3 distinct stages to creating a literature review:

• Identify and collect.
• Deconstruct and evaluate.
• Reformulate and synthesise.

The one thing a literature review should not be is a list!

In hindsight, I did understand what was expected from a literature review and I enjoyed the process.

A group of lecturers including myself, came together to discuss the urgency of creating a programme to not only commemorate the 75 years of India independence and creation of Pakistan, but also to provide a platform for the often-complex reflections on what we view as the ongoing process of Independence, and the histories that have unfolded, since the historic partition of the subcontinent. 

Seventy-five years is a substantial period over which to negotiate identity, nationhood, and democratic freedom. It is also enough time to demonstrate understanding of the event for broader critical reflections on postcolonialism and decolonisation. 

We created a programme through an intense, sustained, focus on personal histories, culture, art & design, performance, and communication practices. We did this through talking, thinking, doing, making, and learning together over the 6-month period, with an emphasis on arts pedagogical and educational practices. 

It was an exciting, intense, and a challenging journey showcasing, discussing, and debating art, film, fashion, music, performance, and products, in the context of colonialism, postcolonial diasporas, migration, politics and development. A diverse range of people shared their stories, reflections and references to books, articles, photography, and objects – for which I was most grateful.

My utmost thanks to both Graham Barton, Rahul Patel and Shumi Bose who supported the project and helped make it a reality, and the external speakers/students who contributed to the process: Aijaz Ahmad, Barjis Chohan, Pav Singh, Aanchal Malhotra, Arpita Akhanda, Murad Qureshi, Pallavi Chamarty, Rajinder Kalsi, Amandeep Sandhu, Nivi Jaswal, and Jaspreet Kaur. 

I have never been as overwhelmed as I was from receiving all the positive feedback by the tutor for my MA dissertation. I have always said that feedback is so important to any individual’s educational professional development and creative practice. It empowers and motivates you to be involved in bigger and better projects that also matter in society today.  

As a big advocate for diversity, inclusivity, and equality; there are further improvements to be had in our creative institutes. As practitioners, we should continue to voice our views and support others to communicate their thought-processes within their work.  

I started to discover through exploration, experimentation, and discussion of how a sari disrupts the British Creative institutes, that a sari is not deemed as a professional attire and how the sari is only known by British people as a garment worn at celebratory events. It has been an interesting research journey delving into the history, theories, and women’s experiences of the sari, and because of the many methodologies I used to conduct this research.

Undertaking the MA over 3-years part-time was one of the best decisions I have ever made as it gave me ample headspace to learn and enjoy the subject. 

The writing process involves, creativity, imagination, structure, editing, drafting, revisions, reflecting and it aims to be thought-provoking. There will always be challenges on any given writing journey and there are numerous ways of improving the text after the first draft. 

More often I would say go with your gut feeling when a piece of writing is not yet completely coherent. I know this from when I submitted my dissertation, once proofreading was completed, the conclusion was an element that needed more time to review. If I had the opportunity to change or review any part of the dissertation it would be the conclusion of the dissertation. 

Despite how challenging the writing was, I really enjoyed learning, reading, researching, connecting with people and discovering new knowledge and insights. Tutorials and supervision are also a crucial element of the process in validating one’s theories, approach and articulation.  

Interviewing has been a social science methodology for decades where formal questions are used to obtain knowledge – essentially common practice for sociologists and anthropologists. However, interviews can cause great stress and anxiety for the interviewee before, during and after the process. It is vital for the interviewee to be put at ease by the interviewer, but it still does not completely erase the stress that is felt by the person who is being interviewed despite the research they undertake to prepare. Many factors such as whether you have articulated effectively, your appearance, and your demeanour are being evaluated and this can trigger nerves and anxiety. Long questions can also add to the stress of the process.  When the interviewee has to think on the spot, mistakes can be made in answering the questions. In a situation like this, the interviewee might then also reflect on what they should have said, how they came across and whether they communicated well, for example.

Interviews in my opinion should instead take the form of an ‘informal conversation’ and questions should be short and concise. One should start by putting the interviewee at ease, with no judgements so that they can respond freely without feeling apprehensive.

It is also important to allow the interviewee space to respond to questions throughout the process which eliminates tension. Questions should be sent ahead of the conversation, giving the interviewee time to prepare and thus to making them feel comfortable during the process.

For the MA Academic practice, I undertook interviews, but I labelled them ‘informal conversations’, which led to having a friendly dialogue using one main, open-ended question and it worked very well.

I had a meeting with the Associate Dean of the international student experience at the University offices in Holborn. I decided to wear a sari for this meeting. I look through my collection of saris hanging in the closet for something suitable but not too grand. I stumble upon my grandmother’s printed chiffon sari, finished with chain stitch embroidery similar to the chikankari technique originating from Lucknow, India.

Whilst tying the sari on, I am calculating every element of the sari. I become meticulous and measure each pleat, so I have the right amount of fabric resting over my left shoulder, so it does not betray me at some point during the day!

Usually, you pleat the sari over the shoulder, but I let it hang over my shoulder loosely and occasionally it would cascade down my arm. Just after 8:30am, I walk briskly to the tube, feeling the fresh air brushing against my skin which feels similar to how the chiffon is touching my skin.

I walk fully composed to the tube and taking no notice of any eyes observing me. When approaching the escalators, I carefully pick my pleats up as gracefully as a princess to ensure that they do not get trapped in the escalators. I arrive at UAL in Holborn, taking the lift to the 4th floor.

I felt very welcomed by the Associate Dean and it was a heart-warming meeting that left me smiling as I departed the building. I continue to walk from Holborn to Covent Garden, feeling liberated and empowered in my sari. I stop by at the Dover Street Market store in Piccadilly, feeling somewhat out of place in a store inspired by minimalist, innovative and unique design concepts. I enter the café on the 3^rd floor to have lunch with the Store Director who made me feel at ease. I did not regret wearing a sari on this day. 

On the evening of Thursday, the 19^th of May, we had tickets to the National Theatre to watch a play called “The Father and the Assassin”. I had made the decision to wear a sari for that evening. On the day, I went through my collection of saris in the wardrobe pondering on which sari to wear. I eventually select a black and white block print sari in tussar silk (also known as Kosa silk in Sanskrit) with a wide red velvet border.

The Kosa Silk is obtained from an Indian silkworm, and it is known for its unique texture – I thought it to be visually fitting for that evening. The pleats on a Kosa silk sari behave satisfactorily once they are organised and tucked into the petticoat leaving enough fabric for the ‘pallu’, which is the loose end of the sari that rests over the left shoulder.

The Pallu cascades gracefully down my arm, as I walk. We get the taxi to the tube station, and whilst walking briskly, I carefully lift my pleats up and down the escalators and stairs, to eradicate any accidents. On our arrival we head towards the bar to pick up some cold beverages.

Suddenly, I encounter another Asian woman in a sari. I felt her eyes were scanning me up and down, but I just wanted her to say hello and I would have responded politely. Unfortunately, she seemed unapproachable, and this made me reflect on unconscious biases lingering in the air between us both.

I proceeded outside with my friends, sipping our thirst-quenching refreshments leisurely and my sari was moving with the lovely cool breeze in the air. It was time to take our seats in the auditorium that had a perfect view of the stage. The gripping fictional tale of the man who killed Gandhi was a phenomenal piece.

To our delight, we were invited to join a private party in celebrating the very first showing of this play. The atmosphere was filled with notable figures from the arts and theatre domain – I was consumed by the alluring people, the murmur of conversations and the clinking of the wine glasses.

I was surprised to receive a compliment by a choreographer and a few others on my sari. It became clear when talking to some other guests that I was not the only person to have felt uncomfortable about the other women in saris as they had a similar effect on them.

I have thus been toying with the question of: How do we dismantle the negative biases within our own cultures?