The Decolonising Wikipedia Network (DWN) supports students and staff at University of the Arts London to edit Wikipedia through the lenses of anti-racism and decolonisation. This includes (but is not limited to) increasing the visibility and credibility of under-represented and marginalised figures and topics connected to our subject disciplines on Wikipedia.

Decolonisation is not a metaphor or synonym for diversity and inclusion work (read Tuck and Yang, 2012); it is about equity, justice and reparation for those whose lives and life chances have been and continue to be negatively affected by colonisation. Under British colonial rule, entire communities and nations suffered the loss or oppression of traditional knowledge and ways of knowing, and other forms of epistemicide. The legacy of this continues to influence knowledge production and dissemination to this day. Read more about decolonising the curriculum, libraries and sources here.

DWN supports UAL students and staff to play an active role in the decolonisation of knowledge and Wikipedia editing as a form of knowledge activism. This site contains examples of Wikipedia editing that has been done by UAL students and staff and guidance for future Wikipedia editors and decolonising Wikipedia facilitators.

DWN was set up by Lucy Panesar (former UAL academic and Wikimedian in Residence) and LCC Changemakers in November 2020. It has been co-facilitated by Alex Duncan of Arts + Feminism, Chelsea Librarian Chris Riant, Richard Nevell from Wikimedia UK and DWN Assistants Alex Goodall and Nat Li Lin Steinhouse. LCC was awarded Partnership of the Year at Wikimedia UK’s 2021 AGM and Community Day.

Banner image ‘to be a Knowledge Activist’ available from Wikicommons.