"A Spoonful of Sugar in Your Cup of Tea" - Pustaka Pias x Small Fry Collective

Discrimination and racism are without a doubt heavy subjects to tackle. However, expressing them through arts—specifically narration and illustration—proved to be not only fun and creative but also cathartic. British Council spoke with Pustaka Pias about the origins of their collaboration with Small Fry Collective, how it unfolded, and what‘s next for the collective.

British Council (BC): How did your collaboration come about?

Pustaka Pias (PP): We’d been following Maisy Summer, an award-winning illustrator and animator based in Manchester, on her digital platform and found out that she created the Small Fry Collective, which hosts online and offline events, projects, workshops, and talks for creatives from across the globe. 

Afterwards, we were introduced to Isobel Platt, a designer, illustrator, and maker who also co-hosts the collective. We then exchanged emails to discuss the proposal and did online meetings to discover talented artists and illustrators from Indonesia and the UK.  Maisy and Isobel are very talented, warm, and supportive—we couldn’t ask for better project partners!

BC: What subject did you decide on?

PP: We thought it would be interesting to initiate a dialogue on decolonisation using a combination of narration and illustration. We then created a project proposal that outlined our purpose, project structures, committee, timeline, and audience. 

We wanted to create impactful collaborative artworks that celebrated minority communities or underrepresented groups in Indonesia and the UK via focus group discussion, artwork execution, raw data collection, and book writing.

Throughout the process, history, culture, and education were the three main points that emerged in our conversations. All of us got to listen to one another and reflect upon the struggles that we all faced as individuals and communities in our respective cultures. 

BC: How was the overall experience of collaborating with Small Fry Collective?

PP: Discussing and unpacking issues regarding discrimination and racism is uncomfortable, but conversation, education, being present and listening are fundamental in overcoming systematic racism. 

Talking about the roots of discrimination was painful and forced us to look into old histories. Speaking about our identity, or the harm we’ve experienced, was difficult and often traumatising. We expected discomfort but also fulfilment—this was a learning opportunity for all.

We also believed that forging a dialogue through narration and illustration would help address these complex issues in a more resonant manner. Our particular method does not mean simplifying the complex topic of discrimination—it’s simply about catering to a diverse and broad readership. 

BC: It’s one thing to tackle a difficult subject matter and another to do so while working remotely. Did you come up with new or innovative ways as first-time collaborators?

PP: Collaborating with Small Fry Collective, as well as all the artists and illustrators, over many virtual calls and emails across different time zones was an eye-opening experience and exposed us to a completely different way of working and learning about the creative field and social issues in our partner country.

We felt strongly about the importance of the process and group dynamics, of showing our team members and participants the same respect and courtesy we would in a face-to-face setting. 

We also ensured that every member and participant involved in this project comply with the code of conduct, terms of use, and information management system set forth by Pustaka Pias and Small Fry Collective.