Before submitting my initial proposal, I created mind maps to generate ideas and see what truly matters to me as an artist. I wanted to work on a project that would enable me to acquire new skills in graphic design, as it is something that I am not comfortable with. I was especially interested in typography, as perhaps there is something illustrative about it. Last year, during the typography workshop, I had indeed seen the potential of fonts in having a personality, conveying a story, or establishing a conceptual framework, much like Illustration does.
During my bachelor's, I found blending images and texts especially hard; sometimes, I only partially used typefaces. I want to become a creative director one day in the field of advertising, so I believe that it was essential for me to understand the entirety of the design process when creating a poster. The reason why I pursued a master's degree in graphic arts is so that I can acquire new skills in graphic design by using new softwares such as Illustrator and new mediums such as animation. My goal was to learn new modes of communication within the field of graphic Arts. During the final year of my undergraduate studies, I found a job opening for a graphic designer at the British Film Institute who would create posters advertising their film festivals. During that time, I needed to be more confident to apply as my typography and graphic design knowledge needed to be improved. This is why I wanted to delve into graphic design during this Master's.
Last year, I had already in mind that the subject of my project would revolve around dancing as I had become friends with my dancing instructor, Jas, who truly made me understand the power of dancing in terms of empowerment. She had told me about her background; being from Bangladesh, she knew she would have to be in an arranged marriage and lived in fear all throughout her childhood with a knife under her pillow. She had also been a victim of domestic violence and had thankfully been able to escape it. She told me that dancing had had a truly healing power for her and had enabled her to build a community of her own with other women. I had this idea of working with her, but I was still unsure how to take on this project. Last year, I did a project on "In which ways does Burlesque empower women on stage?" so I knew I wanted to do a different project. Bringing forward Jas's story (even though she told me I could) was not an option for this project.
I started to think about subjects that matter to me as an artist: feminism, psychology, and cultural identity. But also elements of design such as branding, typography, graphic design, and animation. I had been going to boxing classes for a few months, and when I returned after the break, I realized how different the environment is from dancing. I thought that this could be interesting to bring forward graphically.
Sometimes, when I am out of inspiration, I randomly watch documentaries on Arte TV to find new ideas; I stumbled upon the documentary "Fashion as Identity", which brought forward how different artists bring forward their own cultures through fashion. Artists use it as an armure and to express their own points of view. (Arte, no date) This made me think about my identity and how I bring it forward through my art.
I thought about my cultural identity, which is French and American, from Luxembourg. It's interesting as I feel like I do not entirely belong to any of my nationalities. I read that there were 281 international immigrants in the world in 2022, and perhaps they all felt the same way. (World Immigration Report, 2021) This made me realize that it could be interesting to interview the people from the boxing and dancing clubs and ask them how it makes them feel as if they are part of a community. I told my sister about this idea, who studies communication in the Netherlands, told me that it would be interesting maybe to form a sort of campaign around this idea to promote Boxing and dancing as part of the sustainable development goals for the United Nations. Indeed, they could be a part of the good health and well-being of the members of the United Nations.
All these different bouncing ideas were useful to me as they brought forward the fact that this project would have to have a personal, humane aspect to it (through personal interviews, which would enable me to see their own stories and experiences) but should also be empowering in a way as it is what drives me as an artist. I was still not sure about how I would be working with the mediums of Graphic Design by this point, but I knew it would revolve around typography and graphic design, and perhaps Illustration.
Generating Mindmaps
Dance and boxing interviews
I decided to hand out the same questionnaires to the members of the boxing and dance clubs, except that I changed them accordingly. Through my questionnaires, I wanted to see what sports mean to them and how they feel, and I wanted to see how they bring a sense of community and individuality to them. I think that unconsciously, this is also why I joined the gyms, so I wanted to know how they felt. So, after the filming sessions, I handed out some questionnaires, and four women were willing to answer the questionnaires for me, but the boxing questionnaires did not return to me.
I decided to ask some of the members from the boxing gym if I could email them the questionnaire or send it to them on Instagram. So, I got three questionnaires back from the boxing club. It is funny how women have been the most helpful for this project. Only one guy answered the questionnaire for me. Even though I haven’t gotten many answers, I am still happy with the content. I enjoy the rawness of the answers I have gotten from the dancing community; I think it’s also because they had to answer on paper fast to get back to what they had to do, or they had to write down their answers without thinking. You can see how some women have joined the dancing class to be part of a “sisterhood” of their own.
I think some of the answers from the dancing club I have gotten already have the potential of being part of a poster: “The more we dance, the wider we share our communities” or “Expressing that which I cannot articulate in words.” Sometimes, it can be quite moving, and one lady expressed that joining the dancing class gave her a feeling of self-worth. “It encourages me to be there for a sister.” Some of these sentences can become part of an animation or moving poster design.
The boxing questionnaire's answers seemed more serious because they were typed in a way it removes their personalities. "The boxing gym is not about the sense of community for most but more about the personal aspect of it". I still really enjoyed what I had read: “It allowed me to see other people’s lives and what they battle for from another perspective, what they are willing to struggle for.” Or “Developing something your own is a form of self-expression.” Another one that stood out was “, But my god, when I’m in front of a bag, it’s like everything is quiet, and it’s just me vs me, rolling with the punches.” “I have seen many different types of people at this boxing club. Varying ages, sex, ethnicities, personalities, and experience levels, somehow it's everyone together.”
These answers to the questionnaire have given me fascinating insights into how sports shape individual identities and communities. Since handing out these questionnaires did not seem very fruitful, I decided to create an online questionnaire as they might be more used to digital communication. Unfortunately, I did not receive any answers for my online questionnaires except for one which was the dancing class. I had asked my friend to pass along the questionnaire by message to one of the trainers as my phone was not working, and he started to sexually harass her. So I decided that I had enough answers from both groups.
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This also made me realise the similarities and differences between boxing and dancing: Both sports have an empowering nature, they allow people to express themselves, to let go of personal frustration and to better themselves. They also foster a sense of community but in different ways. Dancing is more about uniting people of different backgrounds and ages in a way to let loose and to express themselves freely. Boxing brings people together through discipline and strength and wanting to push themselves. Dancing is more about "letting loose" whilst boxing is about strategy and technique. I found that these ideas could be interesting to bring forward through typefaces.
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Interviewing Myself Dance Class
What does dancing mean to you?
Dancing is a means of escape, a sort of portal to daydreaming. I use it to enhance my mood, and sometimes, maybe a bit too much.
How would you describe your experience of being part of the dancing class?
It is like being part of a group where we playfully share a simple pleasure. We are accepted no matter our background or how good we are at dancing. I find it empowering and joyful as the room is filled with smiles and laughter.
Why did you join the dancing class?
I joined the dancing as I have always enjoyed dancing as a hobby to let loose when I am alone in my room. As I had just moved into a new house with two roommates below me, I knew that this would not be acceptable anymore as they might have believed that they had an elephant in the room above them. So, I decided to join the dancing club as I missed moving in a non-serious way. I had also joined the boxing class, which was very masculine based, and I wanted to do a sport I could share with other women.
How has being involved in this community impacted your life?
Being part of this community has positively impacted my life. It brought me more confidence as I joined a room filled with strangers and had to dance in front of them, even thought I am not a great dancer. It did bring me a sense of community as I have become close friends with the dance teacher, Jas, who brings positivity into my life.
Have you noticed any shared values, beliefs, or traditions within this community?
That empowerment is a shared belief within this community. There is no judgment, and people can share their struggles in life.
Do you have any memorable moments during the dancing class?
My favourite moment of the dancing class was when my sister came to visit me and joined the class. It was nice to share this experience with her.
What aspects of your individuality do you bring to the dancing class?
My personality can come out when dancing. Also through what clothes I choose to wear.
In what ways do you see dancing as a form of self-expression?
Any movement that you embody and freestyle is your own.
How do you see the dancing community contributing to the broader society?
It is a positive aspect of healing certain wounds. One of the ladies there had been bullied before in a dancing class, and this class offered her a supportive and kind space. Another lady is recovering from addiction, and this dance class has helped her in her healing process.
What is your favourite dancing poster of all time? Why?
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The movie poster portrays Roxie Hart from Chicago (2003) by Rob Marshall as it was a childhood DVD in my home that I would watch and rewatch continuously with my sister. We loved its soundtrack and jazzy energy and would even recreate its musicals in the living room with my sisters for our family. (in a family-friendly way, of course) The movie is about two women, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, in the roaring twenties, who go to jail for killing their partners and their lawyer who is there to represent them. It pokes fun at the American judicial system, which believes in the appeal of justice rather than seeking the truth and serving justice to the wronged. I really enjoy the fierceness of Roxie Hart, which is captured here, and the way the typography encapsulates the stage's bright lights, neon light, and the desire for fame.
Interviewing Myself Boxing Class
What does boxing mean to you?
Boxing means courage, strength, and learning to think of new ways of using your body while strategically thinking. Boxing is intense, and it can be painful in a gratifying way.
How would you describe your experience of being part of the boxing club?
When I first joined the gym, I felt intimidated. I was the only girl in a room full of men, and I knew nothing about the sport. Now, I walk in, and I am proud of it. It can be intimidating to shadow a box in front of a mirror; it is strange to look at yourself in a mirror in front of people. This space has allowed me to experience discomfort and to grow.
Why did you join the boxing class?
I have always been interested in the sport, as I felt it could be a great way to relieve anything on the mind. I was also attracted to its health benefits and for self-protection.
How has being involved in this community impacted your life?
It has given me more confidence and strength, and it feels great to hold a plank longer than most of the men in the class.
Have you noticed any shared values, beliefs, or traditions within this community?
There is a shared value of wanting to become a better version of ourselves. People are very motivated and want to show off their skills.
Do you have any memorable moments during the boxing class?
My friend Maria and I have a routine of sneaking away to a back room filled with punching bags to hide our lousy skipping skills. We use this time at the beginning of the training sessions to warm up and catch up on each other’s week. Once, our training instructor walked in and asked, “Why are you ladies in here?” and then he announced as a joke “, All right, guys, we are going to separate the gym, ladies on this side and men on that side, there will be no swapping of the genders in this gym.”
What aspects of your individuality do you bring to the boxing class?
My clothes and my lack of great boxing skills are aspects of my individuality that I bring to the class. However, I still show up almost every day.
In what ways do you see boxing as a form of self-expression?
Becoming a better version of yourself is a form of self-expression.
How do you see the boxing community contributing to the broader society?
My boxing instructor told me that he used to live a life of theft, and becoming a boxing professional helped him get out of this habit. This shows the transformative powers of boxing. I believe it also helps people to be there for each other and to motivate each other. The sport allows for personal growth and camaraderie something that they might bring with them in the outside world and can positively influence interactions in the broader society.
What is your favourite boxing poster of all time? Why?
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I enjoy this vintage poster from 1974, for the World Heavyweight boxing match of Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, held in Kinshasa Zaire in East Africa.
It is eye-catching and simple, but it is the identity of a boxing poster with a yellow background and red and black letters. It simply allows viewers to understand the message. In a way, it mimics the headline of a Newspaper through the use of elongated typefaces, bringing forward its importance.
Thematic Analysis
of interview with Jas
I interviewed Jas after our dance class to find out more about her own narrative within the dancing community and how it came to be. I also wanted to get a better understanding of the transgressive powers of dance and how it can shape communities together through the act of non-verbal communication. I started questioning this when I realized that I don’t really communicate much with the others outside of the class, sometimes I just go to a class, say a few greetings, and just leave when it is done. But in a way it still makes me feel as if I am part of something bigger. I transcribed the interview that we had done in a café which I was glad to do as I feel that you can get so much more out of a person rather than if they just fill out a form. I found that this interview was extremely useful for my research but also inspiring as I was able to learn about how cultural identity can also shape someone’s meaning of empowerment.
I decided to do a thematic analysis of transcribed interview to shape what my own narrative for this project could become. Thematic analysis is defined as “a method for identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data” (Braun & Clarke, Dawadi, 2020, p.62).
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I decided to highlight these key themes this way:
Themes of empowerment:
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Jas brought up several times the empowering ways in which dancing can help one navigate their own emotions through self-expression.
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Themes of Community:
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Jas, brought forward the ways in which dancing can bring people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures together. By supporting one another, even just in the balancing of dance moves or laughter it brings people together.
Themes of Cultural identity:
Jas, discussed the ways in which her South Asian culture enabled her to understand the ways in which empowerment can be defined.
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Themes of Non-verbal communication:
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Jas discussed the ways in which non-verbal communication brings people together.
What does dancing mean to you?
Jungle music and dance became my way to express frustration, fear, and an inner power that I wasn't really allowed to cultivate in any other way. It was really, powerful because all my movement is my own, and all the energy that I incur from moving or music that comes into my ears and into my body, it then gets transformed into my own energy. And what I love doing is sharing movements with old people, men, women, children, disabled people, older people, younger people, whoever it resonates with that the power of yourself is within your body and dance and play creativity and fun, no boundaries, and no sort of like having to perform or any standards to reach, just for the joy of the movement. If you can allow that, it really does allow you to cultivate your inner personality in your own dreams. Drum and bass and jungle let me be very wild after a background, after years of dancing Bharatanatyam and Kathak, its beautiful dances, it's all the dances for the gods. But I was very frustrated so with my life and my story and the impending possibility of arranged marriages, and I witnessed a lot of the females in my community sort of not having a choice in who they married or feeling very guilty for saying no. What jungle music allowed me to do is it allowed me to feel my power unapologetically. And I've never wanted to be a bad influence on people, so I don't go around giving people advice, but I always followed my own heart, and if something wasn't correct for me, I just had to find that strength inside. It was scary a lot of the times, but dancing powerfully has given me energy sometimes and strength I didn't know I had. So if I can help people unlock their own, 'cause it's not about me, my dance classes aren't about me, I'm just doing what I find easy, but if I can give other people the steps to see that actually it can be easy for them too, then we're all just more in a more, we are in a place of agency, and that's what I wish for everybody on earth, agency.
How would you describe your dancing?
It is more global.
How do you select the dancers that you work with?
The people that I work with, I have to select them. They have to pass the kind of test for me to see if they have enough willpower; otherwise, accountability. If someone who's got the will, if they need someone to rub their shoulder or feel sorry for them all the time, it's not gonna work. This is all about self-accountability and taking responsibility. Self-care, but accountability first because you might say that you care for yourself, but if you're sort of pouring that extra glass of wine every night, you're not, and when making excuses for yourself, that’s not care.
How do you create your choreographies?
So it's quite hardcore. So when I'm doing classes, I do think about how far up I take your adrenaline. And this is why sometimes the music is so different. We'll do something tssch tssch crazy, and then it will be soft because what I'm doing is I'm not I've got you adrenalized, and that can very easily turn into cortisol if I keep you there, right? If I use that energy and put it into somatics, proprioception, you start to coordinate and balance better. So I'm doing a real scientific thing. I love it without you knowing. I've just been hired by the Priory hospital, the mental health hospital. So for me, move our body is everything we live in it, right? So it doesn't matter if it's you're super adrenalized or if you're completely lethargic and you can't get out of bed. It's somewhere on that scale of - the body. Doesn't matter where you are, it's not wrong, we just have to find a way to make you want to just even if it's just flexing your foot. Maybe this maybe some people maybe that is all they will ever do, that's OK, if that's what they can manage, that is enough.
Who's your favourite dancer ever?
MICHEAL JACKSON! Yeah Michael Jackson.
How does dance serve as a tool for you to manage societal norms?
As a South Asian woman, I've always looked up to English women and black women for empowerment because, as a South Asian woman, there are so many things that I know that culturally I shouldn't do or would be looked at badly. And you know, certain labels like white privilege, it can keep women away from looking towards other people to find empowerment. I don't think that white women are privileged over me. I feel like in Europe, politics has been different, and women have had a very different journey. And all the liberties and freedom that I exercise as a British woman in the UK are because of the women in the history of the UK. So the suffragettes, I have been a single mum, I was in a domestic violent relationship when I didn't want to be in that relationship. I didn't have to stay with my community's guidelines and think that I would be outcasted if I separate. I just thought there is a system in place in this country thought women don't have to stay in bad marriages and partnerships and be abused. And that is that's a privilege. It's a privilege across the board. Whoever is brave enough and strong enough to stand up against their own community and their own rules and regulations and use those privileges. So living in the UK, I'm just as privileged as any white person in this country. I get to go to the doctors, I've had a free education, you know, I can work, I can be a self-employed person, I can be an employed person, I can be non-employed and still have benefits, state benefits, and survive, yeah, I'm happy supported. So I think actually like I just feel so very blessed and lucky to be a young woman in the UK. And I just, I love sharing empowerment and opening the doors for women from many, many backgrounds to find their fierce, to step out of the norm, to do the thing that they want to do with the time that they have, for the life that they have to live. Before 2024 is a great time to be, you know, we've all got boilers in our house, there's got warm water to do our washing up, so I used to complain about laundry and washing up 'cause it used to feel like a burden until I realized that actually every generation before us has struggled a little more and they will made massive changes, and each generation has it a little bit easier than the last because of these wonderful loving things that they do like invent stuff to make our lives easier. So find it really important to tap into joy and not stay within and those feelings of burden, regret, grief, and disappointment and disillusion when I feel like through dance and movement we connect to ourselves but also connect to other people and just inner power and creativity.
How do you find that we can connect in a dance class even if we're not talking to each other?
The thing about the body is we're really, really intelligent, and a lot of our communication is done nonverbally. Babies are born and shaking and jumping and giggling and smiling, and they just, you know, so they're dancing in a way we know they're happy. They're not saying it to us, but we can see, you know, so a lot of what we say is actually through our body language. When we are dancing, that communication, a lot of what I guide people through, I guide people through a range, actually, of different empowering moves, moves for softening, and also playing with strength and proprioception, things like pushing, pulling, force, you know, so actually, a lot of our communication is done through our eyes. We're smiling, you're happy, but actually, what we're doing is we're playing, we're bringing some confidence to the body, we're making patterns, and so we might be wiggling our hips and feeling a little cheeky, but actually the hip bones are getting a workout. We're getting emotional because we know that we wouldn't do this outside in Tesco, and so we're having a giggle with us and just that communication of being able to be silly and laugh at one another, what it does is it allows us to go away and make more mistakes without giving ourselves a hard time. If we can laugh with one another and find the joy in being imperfect and doing things for fun, not to look good, we then give yourself that permission in our own life and to ourselves. So a lot of what I do in my class, I hope carries on. I hope I'm giving people the permission to continue this later, so not just in my dance class, take these things and apply them in everyday life whenever you need to. So our intelligence, each part supports each other, so being brave enough to come to a class giggling with someone who was also scared to come to class, completing the class with someone who was scared to come to class, watching the teacher make a complete booboo and mistake, laughing at herself, we're all essentially, we're all the same, we'll struggle with this similar emotions, or we just alchemize them differently, they manifest in our lives differently, but we all suffer the same sufferings. So when we're together and we just have that bond with ourselves and others and that real permission to be, to just be like children, right? 'Cause children don't know stuff, they want to learn, and they're really excited, and they want to ask questions, and you know, it's not so bad if they made the mistake as, "I don't know," right? That's what I want to bring in my class. I want us to live and remember that we don't have to know everything all the time. We don't have to have all the answers all the time. We don't have to be good at something straight away. Like, we can if we want to train, if we want to learn, if we want, if we want. But your desire is so important. If you don't want to be good at something, why be upset that you're not good at it? Like, it's a waste of your imagining, like there's no things I don't give a crap about, and I don't want to be good at them, so I just, I just leave them to those people who have the talent, you know, and it just, you cut yourself some slack, stop pressuring yourself thinking, "I have to be good at 10 things, 100%." I'm good at two things, you know, everything else I do haphazardly.
Thematic Analysis
of interview with Darren Hamilton
After one of our classes, I decided to interview Darren, our trainer, to learn more about what boxing means to him. It thought it would be incredible to get answers from a former British Boxing Champion. Indeed, he held the British Super Lightweight title from 2012 to 2014. He is a very kind, funny trainer who always pushes us to our limits.
Similarly to dancing, I decided to do a thematic analysis of this interview to see if common themes stood out. I found his interview to be fascinating and empowering. I appreciate interviewing people who have life passions and live for them—interviewing a trainer to see another perspective on how boxing can unite communities and contribute to the broader society was interesting. I was impressed by his anecdote on how he had won the championship by preparing five days prior, which shows that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and do not give up just because you wonder how it could be possible. That is the mindset of winners.
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I decided to highlight these key themes this way:
Themes of mindset:
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Darren brought forward the ways in which the mindset of boxing follows you throughout your life. Indeed, discipline and determination can help you achieve anything that want in life - like getting your theory test.
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Themes of perseverance:
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Darren brought forward the ways in which his perseverance with boxing training helped him to turn his life around.
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Themes of empowerment:
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Boxing helped Daren to become a person that he wants to be proud of but also that can influence others in a positive way.
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Themes of individuality:
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Boxing can bring out peoples individuality with the style in which they fight and to embrace their own differences.
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Themes of Community:
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Boxing, similarly to dancing can bring people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures together. It also can help for the betterment of communities by helping vulnerable children by being their role model. But also by changing their mindsets and helping them against violence that they might face.
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What does boxing mean to you?
Boxing means to me EVERYTHING. And when I say everything, I mean, as in, like, there's a lot of situations in boxing that you could use to attain to life, if that makes sense. It’s like a preparation for life, preparing for a fight. I use the same preparation and the mindset for boxing for life. I'm very strategic, so say like that I was passing my theory test the other day, it’s like a training method I do, like, so when I'm boxing I practise, I rehearse, I do shadow boxing. So, when I am rehearsing for something, I treat things with the same autistic attention to detail mindset that I do with boxing. It has helped me structure my life. Boxing is literally everything to me; it is a massive part of my life. The one thing me and my wife argue about is boxing because I will be sat watching boxing on my phone. I'll be doing homework, boxing, as in watching videos of people and that'll be the homework I send to them. Boxing as fun on the weekend, I watch it as entertainment. I do boxing and I teach boxing. I'm creating a book that's based on boxing; it's called the Principles of Kamarhati. I don't know whether the 21 principles or 12 principles. I'm doing a book on boxing so yeah, lots of boxing. It’s everything.
how would you describe your experience of being part of the boxing club as a trainer?
It means a lot to me because, obviously, like, you know, this club is very, very, very sentimental and in respect, that is my home club. It’s the club that pushed me in a direction to become a professional boxer. The man that runs it is the person who used to go on at me, and the guy that runs a charity went on at me when my life was going in a bad direction “to pull your finger out 'cause you're good at boxing”. So yeah, it means a lot, you know, being a trainer at the club of my home club. And when was that? I started here 2006, I think it was; we were another club, “Saint George ABC”. Jimmy robot was my first trainer. We were at Saint George ABC; we moved from there to Trinity, from Trinity, we went to Eastville and then we said right we're going to join up with empire and become a super club and that was in 2006.
So the other question I had is why did you start boxing but I guess you said it before?
I started boxing from a childhood desire, I would say. I watched Rocky two at age nine and I was obsessed. All I wanted to do is hit someone in the face, ha-ha, that’s basically it.
Has been being involved in this community impacted your life??
Oh, good, I suppose it helps in the respect of I'm looked up as iconic, as a pillar in the community and that impacts my life positively. We are all humans; we all make mistakes; we all do things that discredit who we are as individuals. But when people look up to you, it makes you want to perform and act in a decent way. Very interesting questions, they are quite different actually apart from the one “what made you want to start boxing”. :')
Have you noticed any shared values beliefs or traditions within this community? (For example, at the end of the class when we all put our hands together and lift them up) ?
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it's funny you say that because the only thing I can think that traditional is me and Chris. I have morphed into an old person even though I don't feel old. Yeah, I'm still trying to keep my hair; it's going but I'm still going to try to keep it. I might get a hair transplant. I wanna be young but I have morphed into an old person saying things “Are not like how it used to be in the olden days”. So traditionally I think things should be a certain way I think fighters should put training for us and put boxing for us. Chris is also old school as well so we have conversations about how we are ideology or how we think boxing is which is something that's changed. Traditionally fighters now we have to speak to them a certain way, you have to take extra care with the juniors. You can't mix some spar with other ones for the age gap. So what I share with the old school people the pro boxes that tradition of what we feel a fighter should do fundamentally. Turn up at the gym, spar, not worry about weight, not worry about age just getting it 'cause it's not tennis.
So do you have any memorable moments that have happened in your boxing career?
My most favourite moment would always be and if you asked me this question 100 times I'll say it a 100 times would always be: winning the British title 5 days’ notice. I got a phone call in the pub drinking a Guinness, I think it was my second Guinness. It was at a stage in my career where I could have a sneaky drink every now and again but it wasn't ideal. It wasn't ideal to get a phone call to be told that you are fighting in five day’s time so it's five days’ time. So it was five days’ notice but four days’ time to prepare. I had to lose almost half a stone - I almost killed myself. I went in the ring; I won and became a British boxing champion.
What aspects of your individuality do you bring to the boxing class? or to boxing in general?
In general, I have my own method of fighting. Some people made the mistake of calling it a style. I have my own method of fighting; I have my own method of teaching. I have always been unorthodox and my training methods have always been a bit extreme. I bring to my style, my way, my method of teaching into the class which is unique. I pride myself on being different, I outlined the differences that I have with other trainers and teachers if that makes sense.
And your class is the best!
In what ways do you see boxing as a form of self-expression?
People express themselves through the way they fight. You get someone who boxes who comes forward who doesn't mind getting caught with a shot. Like Rocky. If you are someone in your life who doesn't have that much care if you are not a perfectionist. If I went to your house you would have sugars and salts in containers but it won’t say sugar and salt on it. You won't have things neat in order not, you are not showing us in order but you're just happy to get it done. A style is very good and pretty in their style, is a great dresser is a great dancer, they care about themselves, they wash regular. Boxing expresses itself in the way how they fight. I have never been asked that that’s a very cool question I will use it for one of my videos.
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How do you see the boxing community contributing to the broader society?
I will have to go for the obvious, the impact this gym is making in regards to children and vulnerable children and the epidemic or pandemic whatever that is bad with knives and kids and stuff. So we're going straight to the core at the moment, in a respect of we're going for the vulnerable kids that could be in danger of this. So the service that boxing is doing is helping a lot of people come away from that and ironically it helped me come away from a life of that as well. We are at the frontline doing this thing.
Global Dance Class Recording
I decided to film the global dancing class led by my teacher, Jas, to have some references for my typography design project. This class blends aerobic, belly dancing, freestyle, and fun. There is no pressure in being a good dancer. I find it empowering as I initially attended the class alone in a room full of strangers. Jas pushes us to be ourselves, to make silly faces and to dance in our way. This women-only class is very diverse - small children join the dance class, and there is even a 70-year-old woman.
In preparation for filming, I discussed my idea for this project with Jas, who suggested we ask a few class members if they would be willing to stay an extra thirty minutes at the end of the session. The week before filming, I explained my project to the group, including my plan to film and that the footage would only be used for references and would not become public. Jas was kind enough to ask the St Werburghs community centre if it would be possible to use the room for an extra thirty minutes, and they accepted.
Before the class, I explained my project, which would revolve around typography and movements, to the group. I also asked volunteers to stay an extra thirty minutes after the class; I knew there wouldn’t be many of us as one hour is already very tiring, and they have other commitments. At the end of the session, out of 30 attendees, three stayed to let me film them. The three women who volunteered to stay were extremely kind, and I did not know them except for a few smiles and greetings.
Prior to filming, I had the opportunity to hear their stories. One had known Jas for eight years when they joined a dance class near Clifton. Jas explained that it was a toxic dance environment where the woman would be judged and laughed at. Despite this, she continued dancing and lost 15 pounds. That is also why Jas decided to form her dance group. Another one of the ladies told me that Jas’s dance class helped her recover. My sister was visiting me then, and she also volunteered to participate.
I filmed the dance class using the Canon XA30 camera, which I found tricky, so I used the manual button. I captured their movements to five songs of their choice. It was a warm and fun experience, maybe because it felt more intimate. Looking back at the footage, I know that I would not have a career in filmmaking. However, I am glad to have enough footage which showcases a range of movements and expressions of the dance class that I can use for my typography experimentation.
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Indeed, the atmosphere here is joyful, and truly captures what Jas's dance class is all about, which is the freedom to be one self, to make mistakes, to not be too serious which is an important aspect for to consider when creating the typefaces.
Boxing Class
Recording
I joined the Bristol Boxing Gym a few months ago when I first came to Bristol to clear my head during my studies. I also wanted to embrace something that I had always found empowering and incredible, and I wanted it as a means of self-protection. Being one of a few women in the class, I found it intimidating, but then I realized I belonged there as much as anyone else.
I decided to film the boxing class to have references for my project. I first discussed the idea with my favourite gym trainer, Ron. He introduced me to the manager of the Bristol boxing gym. I asked if it would be possible to film on a Saturday morning as there are usually more attendees. She was open to the idea but wanted to ensure everyone’s comfort by placing red stickers on the ones who preferred not to be filmed. I wrote a letter explaining my project, which the manager distributed to the gym members a week before filming.
When I went to the gym on the Saturday a week before filming, the receptionist was asking anyone if they would want to be filmed a week later during that session. I could tell that some of the boxers were excited about the project, and I think they thought this would be for a film. I still get asked when the film is coming out, even though I have explained to them numerous times that it will be used for references only.
I filmed the uplifting, empowering, and intimate women-only dance session the day before filming the boxing session. When I entered the boxing room the next morning, there were over 30 men and two women, and I felt self-conscious. I don’t understand why, as I was not the one who would be in front of the camera, but I still felt like I was on display, like a zoo animal under scrutiny. Ron asked everyone to gather around me so that I could explain my filming project to them. I feel like I am usually a loudspeaker, but after explaining my project in a few sentences, Ron laughed and said, “You have to speak up no one can hear you.” And everyone laughed. I also laughed. (With a hint of embarrassment) With his help, I told everyone about my project. I then asked the people who preferred not to be filmed to come forward so I could place a red sticker on them. More and more people started joining the line, and I was worried for a minute that no one would want to be filmed. But in the end, only ten people declined.
It was still very complicated to film the volunteers as someone would always wear a red sticker behind them. I was trying not to film the ones with the red stickers, which resulted in awkward angles and compositions in the footage. It was also complicated to film some people sometimes, as there was not much space, and I did not want to get punched or whipped out by a punching bag. Some people would come in later, so I would have to ask them again. One said he did not mind, so I filmed him. Then, he came by to see me later and thought he was obligated to be filmed. I was confused as usually: When you ask a person for their consent, they can say no.
Overall, this experience was interesting and showed me that I do not enjoy filming men in boxing gyms. The footage is not great because of how awkward the filming is, but I am still very grateful that people volunteered and helped me with this project. I also have more than enough footage now to experiment and showcase the expressions and movements of boxing.
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The atmosphere here is completely different from the dance class, it really shows the seriousness of the sport as there aren't many laughs because people are pushing themselves in a very disciplined manner. It is perhaps even surreal in way because of how intense it feels.