CSVPA London studio opened its doors, on November 30th 2022, to ELLE Culture Conversations. How culture shapes our behaviour, the importance of finding a sense of belonging in our community and diversity was the event’s centrepiece.
The conversation started around 7:00 pm at number 43, where CSVPA London studio is located, the building was decorated with flower arrangements and CSVPA students’ artwork chosen especially for this occasion. Karin Askham, CSVPA Principal, warmly welcomed the elated attendees.
Karin shared her thoughts about the event: “In a post-COVID-19 landscape, culture and belonging are paramount. As part of our ongoing exploration and celebration of these themes, we want to champion those who are at the forefront of change within our creative communities.”
The introduction was followed by this energetic conversation about community and its power in every aspect of our lives. The inspiring panel included Chatterbox Founder and CEO Mursal Hedayat, Founder and CEO of The Dots Pip Jameson, and England Rugby and World Cup-winning legend Katy Daley-Mclean. It was hosted by ELLE UK’s Digital Executive Editor, Natasha Bird.
Sense of belonging in a diverse environment.
You don’t have to be the same to feel you belong. As Daley-Mclean told us about their World Cup win, “You need a variety of people, so cultural intelligence was one of the biggest things we learned and, ultimately, what led us to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup. We needed it to get the best out of each other while not making anybody feel they couldn’t contribute.”
But what is Cultural Intelligence?
One of the key factors for the growth of our community, better explained by Hedayat, is “the ability to communicate effectively with someone regardless of their background. We need to get fluent in being able to take a person at their full value.” Once we understand this, everything else makes sense.
Chris Stacey, CATS Global Schools CEO, has expressed his feelings about the night, saying, “It was a privilege for us to host this event at our new CSVPA London Studio. We must keep embracing a deeper understanding of diversity to help grow our own community. I am convinced that understanding the different experiences people have gone through to succeed in life helps us go further than others in our journey.”
While we keep improving how we interact in a multicultural environment like the one we live in, we can make sure many of these conversations will keep happening around us, and we need to listen.
If you want to learn more about the event between CSVPA and Elle Magazine, click here.
