Syra Shakir, Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching and Strategic Lead for Race Equality, Ricardo Barker, filmmaker and Associate Professor in Professional Practice, and Dr Sean Walton, Senior Lecturer in Academic Development, have been awarded the prize for their presentation on Re:Tension and the Aftermath Debate – a short film using debate to tackle racism in higher education.

Re:Tension is a short 20-minute film that addresses the topic of institutional racism and the gap in student retention amongst Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students within British universities.  It follows Thapelo, a bright and capable university student, on a day where he is unwittingly forced to question the judgements of his tutors and peers, and delve deeper into his own actions, choices and beliefs.

Written, directed and produced by Ricardo Barker, the film was inspired by analysing statistical data that highlighted the unexplained dropout rate of BAME students. The film attempts to provide a real insight into unconscious racial harassment within higher education (HE) and micro-aggressions that often go unnoticed.

A toolkit, developed by Ricardo and Syra Shakir to accompany the film, uses Re:Tension and the aftermath debate to openly challenge racism and discrimination. It encourages group discussion around accountability and responsibility, and uses a theoretical model titled The Forced Silence whereby Dr Sean Walton provides an exploration of Critical Race Theory in the fight against discrimination.

A spokesperson at the British Education Research Association said: “BERA is pleased to announce that Leeds Trinity University’s input has been awarded the prize for Race, Ethnicity and Education. The presentation was delivered as part of the BERA 2024 conference held in September and the BERA Special Interest Group (SIG) felt the presentation generated an engaging discussion. Congratulations to the team who delivered an excellent presentation, combining videos and poems with academic work, taking the session to that extra level. Thank you to Leeds Trinity University for sharing their insight and resources. The film, Re:Tension, is excellent and very emotional.”

Mike Dessington, Interim Head of Children, Young People and Families at Leeds Trinity University, Said: “Congratulations to our dedicated colleagues Syra Shakir, Riccardo Barker and Dr Sean Walton for their powerful and transformative work in the film Re:Tension, recognised by BERA.”

“This film and associated toolkit stand as a testament to the profound impact of scholarly research that illuminates critical conversations about identity, education, and social understanding. Its BERA recognition amplifies a powerful message: understanding and valuing diverse educational experiences is not just an academic exercise, but a critical pathway to creating more equitable, responsive learning environments that truly support and empower all students. The film will bring meaningful change in educational practice by illuminating the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, and learning experiences.”

Syra Shakir, Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching and Strategic Lead for Race Equality at Leeds Trinity University, said: ‘’Thank you to BERA for this award! The time is now for us to recognise that institutional racism is not a relic of the past. It's a wicked issue that we must confront head-on. We need radical change, not superficial reforms. By building unity and sharing good practice across the HE sector, we can tackle this wicked problem together.”

Winners attended an awards ceremony at Woburn House, Tavistock Square in London on Tuesday 26 November, which also celebrated BERA’s 50th anniversary. The awards ceremony highlighted the winners and their work, as well as the achievements and successes of the academic research community.

BERA, also known for its suite of highly regarded and international peer-reviewed journals, is a membership association and learned society committed to advancing research quality, building research capacity and fostering research engagement. BERA’s vision is for educational research to have a profound and positive influence on society.

Find out more about Re:Tension and the associated training toolkit by visiting the Leeds Trinity University website.