Co-Founder of Female Architects of Minority Ethnic (FAME) Tumpa Fellows, Senior Lecturer in Architecture, has organised the group’s first event to highlight the barriers faced by minority ethnic female architects, which will take place on 4 December at 6pm.
The participatory virtual event, titled ‘Exposing the Barriers in Architecture’, will explore the impact of racism, injustice and inequality contributing to the barriers of architecture. FAME is responding to an urgent need for understanding how race and gender affects established practitioners, young scholars and students from diverse backgrounds, knowledge and practices by engaging in conversations about barriers in architecture and the built environment.
Through this participatory session, the group aims to collectively respond to and demand change, providing the much-needed support to overcome barriers of racial and gender inequality through encouraging attendees and participants to share their personal experiences. It marks the beginning of a series of events which will be documented and shared with those in power to address the inequality that exists in architecture.
Exposing the Barriers in Architecture will be hosted by Architecture Foundation on Zoom, and will be presented by Tumpa Fellows. Recent RIBA Presidential candidate Sumita Singha will provide the keynote speech of the event, which will also host a panel of speakers including Annette Fisher from Let’s Build, Hilary Satchwell from Tibbalds and Part W, Chair of the RIBA Architects for Change Expert Advisory Group Femi Oresanya and Director of Tonkin Liu, Anna Liu.
Talking about the event, Tumpa Fellows said: “My experience of being a British architect who is a female of colour included many barriers of racial and gender inequality throughout my 14 years of practice. During the pandemic, a number of BAME female architects reached out to me with their challenges, which have been exacerbated by the current situation. Our distinguished guests will share their experiences and success stories of how they have overcome the barriers faced in architecture.
“We created FAME to support women of diverse backgrounds in the industry, and with this event hope to explore the impacts of racism, injustice and inequality that contribute to the barriers faced by female BAME architects globally.”
To attend the event on 4 December, register on Eventbrite.
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