AS A black female artist running my own art and textile business, I have come a long way, but it hasn’t been easy by any means.

During my university studies I experienced a lot of structural and institutional racism in the way I was expected to conform to Eurocentric concepts about fashion, creativity and culture.

One of my course projects based on the Black Panthers was laughed at and dismissed by my tutor, and the topic for my final year dissertation was viewed as too black for discussion. While at university I was invited by activist and trade unionist Zita Holbourne to exhibit at a Left in Vision exhibition at University College London and this led me to start exhibiting my artwork at other local venues in London.

I certainly felt it was more of a productive and less restrictive way for me to be creative. However, the university did not welcome this and it reacted negatively to the idea that I’d want to do an art exhibition while studying a course centred on fashion.

Being told I should concentrate on fashion internships instead didn’t help either, because although I did attend a few “internships,” I found the experiences racist and filled with micro-aggressions. The majority of my peers secured jobs straight out of university. Many were from middle-class backgrounds so they had access to contacts I never would as someone who just wasn’t in their circle.

Towards the end of my time at university I decided I wanted to start my own business as I felt this would be a way for me to control my own destiny and not have to conform to a standard set by others. This was when the real struggle began, as I had no clue about how I could fund this.

I ended up working in retail to supplement my business which a lot of working-class artists do. It’s a lot more difficult to get support and to even start in your career as a working-class black female artist. I didn’t have the knowledge to look up grant opportunities because I didn’t know where to look in the first place.

I ended up taking a Prince’s Trust loan to help fund expanding my range into textiles, but if I had known how to access a grant it would have been another option, especially as I have a low income. It’s important for me to mention that I knew of very few black creative role models growing up, especially those in a position of authority.

We are not represented in senior creative roles. Who are the role models in the creative industries for young black women to aspire to? They are there but are rarely visible to young artists. I feel this is representative of how funding is allocated in the creative industry — if every single member of senior staff is white, how is there to be consistent equal opportunity?

Over the years my involvement in certain projects has not been acknowledged and I have had ideas appropriated. This is something I see regularly in the arts. There was a lack of art opportunities in my local borough so I became involved in Leytonstone Arts Trail in 2012 while searching for opportunities, first exhibiting and then curating exhibitions.

I then decided to come up with the idea for an arts trail in my borough, Newham, which would engage all community members in arts through exhibitions and workshops. Newham is the sixth most deprived area in the country and has the lowest arts engagement levels in the UK. I took my idea to the local council for support and guidance in bringing the idea to life, but due to lack of funding the lengthy preparation work was voluntary.

I invested my time and creative energy into helping to guide the idea through to inception without payment. The first Forest Gate Arts Trail launched in July 2014 and brought together 35 professional Newham artists, with primary and secondary schools, faith buildings and other venues providing free art workshops to children in Newham.

I feel a duty to share my achievements in publications and, through the media, to be the role model for others who I never see represented. To show other black girls coming up that they too can achieve. The media has a duty to report on black involvement, to ensure their involvement is noted. But I have found that the mainstream media often plays down our achievements if we have played a major role in creating and inventing. It is important to bear this in mind, for when you look back into history you can see a lot of black unsung heroes, creatives or inventors who have been washed out of records.

Challenging these issues is part of a collective struggle along with other issues. It’s not just about racism in the arts — I have learnt this from witnessing the struggles of those around me. My mother is a long-time antiracism campaigner and I was taken on many marches as a child. Growing up around this resistance has helped to shape me better to tackle injustice in the present and the future.

I have massive respect for the work of trade unions and have been a proud union member since 2008. I have joined discussions and demonstrations against cuts and racism and created links with people from other sectors. That is how you get the strength to battle all forms of racism and oppression, in unity.

This has led me to collaborate with Zita Holbourne and the TUC in exhibiting at the Roots, Culture and Identity annual exhibition, which is now a touring exhibition. This exhibition, launched in 2014, provided a visible platform for young black artists to exhibit their work at the TUC and other union venues across the country. This is so important as this exposure, support and access to funding to put on an art show is invaluable for young black people. It provided us with confidence to achieve in a world that negates us.

But also, importantly, it provided us an understanding of social and trade union movements that are engaging in a fight to make a better world.

• Antonietta Torsiello is an artist, textile designer, curator and workshop facilitator based in east London. She is a member of Unison. For information about her work or exhibitions visit torsiellolondon. com or email info@torsiellolondon.com. The Roots, Culture and Identity exhibition of young black artists is usually held to coincide with TUC Black Workers Conference. Full details to be confirmed.