Abstract

Fictional spy James Bond and Black British actor Idris Elba are discussed in how they might help us decentre creative spaces. Bond offers iterations of the contemporary quintessential Englishman that some argue Elba cannot deliver. These colonial notions of a gentleman and elite access question how corporeal skin colour’s interpretation impacts Idris Elba as a potential Bond. Can Bond’s suits, his powerful gadgets, licence to kill and record-breaking box-office receipts continue if played by Elba? More importantly what can Bond teach us about creating equity within our learning spaces and by extension, the art and fashion industries.

Session and activities

This interactive presentation discusses the impact of James Bond as an action heroes and which bodies are considered immediately and inherently primed for heroism. It asks the audience to join in unpacking how Bond and Elba can challenge biases that creates invisible barriers for students within our art spaces. Whilst both Hollywood and British cinema find the representation of black action heroes little fraught (Tasker 1993), how can Elba’s action heroism challenge the problematic media myths of Black people in general and Black men specifically (DeVernay 2016).

How heroism impacts our learning spaces is interrogated. If British culture or Bond’s Whiteness is offered as a metonym for masculinity, heroism, class and intellect then how do these embedded readings (Hall 1997) that subtly eliminate Black actors from elite roles (Snead 1993) also influence our classrooms and studio spaces. This light-touch look at the everyday challenges of quintessential Britishness and the invisibility of whiteness explores how we advocating for equitable heroic bodies (Henry King 2021) on screen can normalise the equity and parity of experience for our students our diverse colleges are working towards.