• Brave Space Collective exists to re-imagine and reform the broken complaints
    system in Higher Education to prioritise student dignity
    and safety over institutional reputation.
  • "A renewed and concerted effort is required across all
    UK universities and colleges to make Jewish students
    safe and feel safe on campus”
    Tackling Antisemitism in the UK 2022 – Renewing the Commitment.
    Report by HM Government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism
  • “The NUS found that one in four Muslim students would not report an
    Islamophobic incident, either to their university or police. This was due
    to a lack of trust in their institution to respond appropriately”
    The experience of Muslim students in 2017–18.
    National Union of Students Report (2018)
  • This university was more bothered about covering the
    incident up to maintain a "spotless" reputation, than it
    was about tackling racism, sexism, or homophobia.
    ‘Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged', 2019,
    A report by The Equality and Human Rights Commission

FAQs

What is the Brave Space Collective?

  • The Brave Space Collective is a campaign set up by students at Goldsmiths, Cambridge and SOAS Students Unions, supported by staff members at SOAS Students Union.  We support and advocate for students against the violent, broken complaints system at Higher Education institutions in the UK. We are actively investigating the complaints system and working to develop a new, reformed model so that students no longer suffer at the hands of this harmful system.

What do you actually do?

  • We offer fully funded, professionally run group support sessions to students who are considering or undergoing a complaint of racism including antisemitism and Islamophobia at university in the UK.
  • In addition to our support sessions, we are also actively campaigning to shed light on the injustice of the complaints system and working to create a new model that we will propose to our institutions as an alternative to the current process. We hope that by reimagining the complaints system at one university, we can pave the way for others to do the same.

How are you planning on reforming the complaints system?

  • The Brave Space Collective team at Goldsmiths successfully lobbied to establish a Complaints Task Force composed of Goldsmiths students, a representative from the university EDI Team and a member of the SMT.  The Task Force has been researching complaints procedures, starting with Goldsmiths University.
  • Through testimonies from students, our own experience with the system as well as data from the university, we are compiling evidence to present to the university that clearly shows how the system for complaints of racism doesn’t work for students. As we research, we will be working to reimagine the system, creating a model that removes the flaws from the current system and puts the focus on support and justice for the student. We will then present this model to the university, with a view to them implementing our process.

Are you independent from the universities?

  • We are an independent student-led project not affiliated with any university or student union. Our lead member of staff works at SOAS SU and volunteers their time on this campaign. As part of our influencing and advocacy and through our membership of the Complaints Taskforce at Goldsmiths we do work with staff and members of various university senior management teams, so that we can work towards implementing a new complaints process. All the support sessions, however, are completely independent and are not affiliated with any university or student union.

How are you funded?

  • We received a small start-up grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in January 2022 to establish Brave Space Collective. Most of the grant is spent on paying an independent psychotherapist to facilitate the group support sessions. The remainder was spent on the website.

Are you student-led?

  • Yes, the Brave Space Collective is a student-led initiative.
  • We are made up of former students from Goldsmiths, Cambridge and SOAS Student Unions, supported by a staff member from SOAS Student’s Union.

How long are the group support sessions for?

  • Each set of group support sessions are held by a professional therapist fortnightly for 6 weeks. There will be 2 separate set of sessions for hose who have experienced antisemitism and Islamophobia. Before group support sessions begin, all participants will have a one-to-one session with our therapist.

What if I need more sessions?

  • All students who need more sessions are welcome to attend the next set of 6 group support sessions.
  • Please be advised the group support sessions cannot and are not intended to replace longer term one to one therapy which aims to surface and help resolve deeper, historical trauma.
  • Group support sessions may not be appropriate for everyone. Their purpose is to provide a safe space for reflection, discussion and support facilitated by an independent professional.

Can I use a different name for my sessions?

  • You are welcome to use a pseudonym if you feel more comfortable doing so.

What is your relationship with universities?

  • We are in no way affiliated with any university, only organised by individuals deeply familiar with the harm perpetuated by broken complaints processes.

Is there any other support I can get throughout my complaints process?

Will my information be shared with anyone?

  • Your well-being is our priority. At the registration stage we will only collect the minimum information that we need for the sessions. This information is strictly only seen by your therapist. You can access our confidentiality statement here. We will not keep records of your experience. Before sessions start, we will also set guidelines that all students in each support group will be asked to abide by. The support sessions are designed to empower and support you. We want to make sure all spaces are safe for everyone.
  • Everything that you say in a support session is confidential, but it is important to know that therapists have a duty to act if they think that you are posing a danger to yourself or others. In this case, they may have to get someone else involved.

How many people are on one support session?

  • Each group will contain up to a maximum of 8 students. This group will remain the same for all 6 support sessions. For students who wish to join the next set of group therapy, please note that members in your support group may change.

Do you offer one to one therapy sessions?

  • We do not offer one to one therapy sessions. Before the group support sessions begin, all participants will have a one-to-one session with our therapist. The purpose of these one to one sessions is to establish whether the group support environment is the most appropriate for your needs.
  • Group support sessions may not be appropriate for everyone. Their purpose is to provide a safe space for reflection, discussion and support facilitated by an independent professional.
  • The group support sessions cannot and are not intended to replace longer term one to one therapy which aims to surface and help resolve deeper, historical trauma.

What is the process to sign up to the support sessions?

  • Head to our website and navigate to “Book A Support Session” on the top menu bar. Fill your details on the online form and wait for us to reach out. You will be invited to a one-to-one session with our therapist ahead of the first group session. Thereafter, you will be invited to the 6 weekly group sessions.
  • Ahead of your first group session, you will have a one to one meeting with the psychotherapist, for the area of racism that you have experienced, i.e antisemitism and Islamophobia. Once you have met with your therapist you will be invited to the fortnightly group sessions where you can share as you feel comfortable.
  • You are also welcome to email us directly at info@bravespacecollective.org.uk

Meet the Therapists

Dr. Eliat Aram

PhD, CPsych; MSc Occ Psych; MSc Psychotherapy

I have always been a ‘grown up’ kind of girl, working and volunteering from age 12. I always knew I wanted to be a mother, a therapist, a partner and a good friend. I was the spokesperson for the underdog for as long as I can remember and fighting for the integrity of role and purpose has somehow been in my bones since growing up. In a series of unexpected yet fortunate events, I rolled into the Tavistock Institute with a similar stance of fearlessness, curiosity and openness that has informed my movements till then, and to date, these are the values that inform my thinking and practice, as a leader and as a person of- and in- service.

Issues of freedom, authority and learning in a complex, unknowable and surprising world are of daily concern, challenge and excitement to me. How we locate ourselves physically and psychically in our context and what informs us; why we do what we do and how we account for that – both in the sense of being accountable and in the telling of the story (authoring our experiences) - are lines of inquiry that matter to me. I have been fortunate to work across the globe and grapple with cultural and geographical boundaries, labouring to understand the local context where I work, immersing in its vicissitudes.

Dr Mannie Sher

BA (Hons) Psychology, Sociology, Social Anthropology & Social Work; AAPSW Psychiatric Social Work; TQAPsych. Adult Psychotherapy; FBAP; PhD Dynamics of Change/Organisation Theory & Thinking

Growing up in South Africa under Apartheid, made me aware of the deep suffering caused by totalitarian regimes. My research consultancy and publishing career, therefore, has been a lifelong mission to improve the lives, the working conditions and the well-being of people as individuals, in their social and work organisations and in their communities where they express their social, political or faith selves.

I am a practising psychoanalytical psychotherapist, hence my interest in the causal determinants, both conscious and those that are sometimes hidden, in individuals, groups, organisations and global dynamics, and how these determinants impact social systems. Tavistock Institute group relations theory and practice have hugely influenced my approaches to critical investigation, consultancy and scholarly publication.

Dr Sher and Dr Avram will be leading on the support sessions for students who have experienced antisemitism.

Dr Nilufar Ahmed

BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, CPsychol, HE Cert (Couns.), PG Dip (Couns.), FHEA, FRGS, MBACP

Dr Nilufar Ahmed is a multi-award winning Chartered Psychologist, Academic, Speaker, Psychotherapist, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant whose work centres on inclusion. Driven by a passion for equality she works closely with institutions of all sizes from small businesses to global multinationals, helping them achieve their visions of cultural change and inclusion. Her work is rooted in an antiracist and intersectional framework. At the University of Bristol she is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and has held the position of Antiracism and Inclusion Lead. She has an interest in addressing institutional racism in the education sector particularly Higher Education. Her research applies coproduction methodologies with community members and students as coresearchers. Current research includes Decolonising the Curriculum, Developing Community Engagement Pedagogy, and Improving Access to Healthcare.

Dr Ahmed will be leading on the support sessions for students who have experienced Islamophobia.