British Muslim Women in the Cultural and Creative Industries

Muslim women are opening up new educational and career pathways across the UK, pioneering roles in digital media, fashion design and visual art. However, their contributions to the economy and culture are rarely the focus of media and government reports. Now, Saskia Warren draws on in-depth fieldwork with British Muslim women working in these roles, taking a narrative approach to look at how they frame their own everyday labour experiences. Drawing on interviews, focus groups, activity diaries, and online digital and visual analysis, Warren explores how Muslim womanhood is variously celebrated, contested, resisted and subverted. From negotiating family expectations to encountering prejudice from education providers and employers, and from founding businesses to finding ways to respect religion in their creative work, these personal insights bring the struggles and successes of British Muslim women creatives to life. Contents 6 List of Figures 7 Acknowledgements 8 Foreword • Elinor Chohan 12 Foreword • Qaisra Shahraz 16 1 Introduction 20 2 Muslim Women in Britain: A Changing Landscape 53 3 Cool Britannia? British Cultural and Creative Industries and Diversity 82 4 Muslim Women, Education and Art School 109 5 Muslim Lifestyle Media 144 6 Modest Fashion and Textiles 174 7 Visual Arts and the Art World 211 8 Creative Activism: Tackling Islamophobia, Racism and Sexism 252 9 Conclusion 288 Appendix: Interview Table 302 Bibliography 306 Index 340