2023 D&I Festival Final Report: Destination ABP

The second ABP Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Festival was held between 16-22 September 2023 in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP). The week-long events calendar included various opportunities for student and staff participation with events hosted by undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The Festival of Diversity & Inclusion is aligned with the faculty’s objective to provide support and resources for students and staff to contribute to the shaping of a welcoming, equitable, diverse,

and inclusive work and learning environment at ABP, cultivating a shared sense of responsibility and active participation from students and staff in ABP. This objective is part of Goal #2 of the Faculty’s D&I Action Plan. The festival saw staff, students, and student associations organise five initiatives to make visible and celebrate the rich diversity of the ABP Faculty. Over seven days, the ABP community was invited to take part in these initiatives ranging from exhibitions, and potluck to symposiums.

Given that this was the second time that the faculty ran such an event, we wanted to draw lessons and insights from the feedback on the festival to understand the successes and challenges noted in its delivery and implementation.

The festival has succeeded in giving organisers the tools and platform to create culturally safe spaces that welcome students, staff, and the wider ABP community and invite them to celebrate their identities. In facilitating this self-initiated process, the festival allowed participants to feel actively engaged with other students, faculty, and their respective communities. Critical feedback was also received suggesting improvements in the logistics, marketing, and structured timeline are needed to ensure higher and more impactful engagement in future editions of the festival.

The final report is available here.