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The Impact of Dyslexia in the Studio

Qona Rankin and Claire Lofting

(1) Dyslexia Co-ordinator, Royal College of Art (2) Dyslexia Co-ordinator, Senior Lecturer in Historical and Theoretical Studies, Central St Martin's College of Art and Design qona.rankin@rca.ac.uk

Abstract

This symposium will focus on the impact of dyslexia within the Art & Design sector of Higher Education. Current estimates suggest that 15% of students studying Art & Design at degree level have dyslexia. While debates about the impact of dyslexia on traditional academic skills such as research and writing have been well aired discussion of dyslexia in terms of studio disciplines has tended to emphasise the 'gift of dyslexia' rather than to look at specific processing differences, both positive and negative. This symposium seeks to explore the particular ways in which a student with dyslexia might tackle a design project or studio process. The presentations will explore specific instances of how a student, or tutor, with dyslexia might approach work in different disciplines, for instance, how might a student with time-management issues go about juggling the considerable and various demands of a theatre design project for which they are expected to research and analyse the play, produce set designs, costume designs and lighting plans? In creating objects or images an artist or designer is engaged in producing external models or representations of internal images or forms. What are the particular processing differences that students with dyslexia experience when engaged in externalising their internal images and forms? Case studies will illustrate the particular processing differences students with dyslexia experience within different studio environments, for instance, how might a student who struggles rotating forms in space approach designing a pair of earrings? The working methods of students with dyslexia and seemingly non-dyslexic students will be compared in order to explore processes of externalisation. What impact do different externalisation processes have on the production and manufacture of images and forms? The emphasis of this symposium will be on studio processes but students within the art and design sector do write essays and theses, many with enormous success. What is the emotional impact of research and writing for the student with dyslexia within the Art School? It is hoped that sharing information in this way will enable tutors within the Art and Design sector to gain a better understanding of how the dyslexic mind copes with externalising ideas, images and forms and a better idea of the cognitive, physical and emotional impact of dyslexia in the studio.

Disclaimer: all the abstracts presented here have satisfied the academic committee as appropriate for presentation at an international conference. However, the material reflects the views of the authors, not necessarily those of the academic committee or the BDA. No endorsement of any approach, product or service is intended or implied.

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