Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality,
and to see the links to virtual rooms.
Log in
- Convenors:
-
Zoe Marriage
(SOAS University of London)
Bilge Sahin (International institute of Social Studies)
Send message to Convenors
- Discussant:
-
Ana Paz
- Format:
- Experimental format
- Stream:
- Embedding justice in development
- Location:
- G51a
- Sessions:
- Wednesday 26 June, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
An aesthetic lens brings into focus sets of perspectives, narratives and conceptual frameworks that are illegible to socio-economic methodologies. This panel presents research that amplifies performing artists and local medias in their articulation of, and struggles for, social justice & development
Long Abstract:
Aesthetics, arts, photography, music and local medias provide insights into social groups, their priorities and dynamics regarding social justice and development. People use aesthetics with their political imaginaries, socio-economic positions, and gendered subjectivities to consolidate and contest justice, development policies and the notion of development itself. This could be done by re-interpreting and appropriating an existing body of images for radically new purposes or by creating a new body of images, dance, music or other aesthetic forms that represent communities, identities, histories and interests. While achieving development, whose definition may vary, might remain elusive, the significance of the aesthetic is undiminished. Utopian and ideal imaginings present a different order of reality; they are linked to the material world although what they represent exists as memory, spirituality, metaphor or ambition.
The panel will examine aesthetic forms from the majority world that construct narratives in their cultural, political, and gendered contexts. Presenters will bring context and data from aesthetic forms, and invite the attendees to engage directly with the aesthetic content and format with a view to understanding and acknowledgement beyond the written or spoken word. The discussant will then draw strands from across the papers to capture diverse and distinct projections of social justice and development. The panel will deliberate how agency manifests through aesthetics especially for those marginalised politically, socially, and economically. The discussions will provide a perspective, narrative and independent conceptual framework; as such they are crucially important to a representative and inclusive account of social justice and development.
Accepted contributions:
Session 1 Wednesday 26 June, 2024, -Tania Ocampo Garcia (InsightShare) Nick Lunch (InsightShare)
Contribution long abstract:
This proposal seeks to present an experimental panel discussion on the instrumental role of participatory art forms in transitional justice and the healing of communities, as exemplified by the BREATHE! and Maasai Living Cultures projects associated with the Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM). These projects illuminate the potential of creative and cultural endeavours, including participatory video, poetry and music, in addressing historical injustices and fostering an inclusive future.
The BREATHE! project creates spaces for young people to explore and reinterpret Europe's colonial history through participatory filmmaking, while the Maasai Living Cultures project engages in direct redress of historical wrongs by honouring and reintegrating culturally significant objects with the Maasai community. This panel aims to explore how these projects use participatory art to construct narratives that acknowledge past injustices and pave the way for healing and understanding.
This panel aligns with the goals of PE01 by showcasing how aesthetic forms serve as powerful tools for social justice and development, especially in representing communities that have been historically marginalised. The panel will offer insights into how participatory arts can facilitate a deeper understanding and acknowledgement of social justice issues, transcending the limitations of traditional methodologies.
Participatory video serves as a medium for self-representation, expression and interpretation, involving collaborative artistic processes, engaging with complex emotions and moral values, decolonising art, and contributing to cultural representation and preservation. They align with the core principles of aesthetics by providing a platform for exploring and appreciating the depth and diversity of human experiences and expressions.
Angela Mae Minas (The University of Manchester) Ginbert Cuaton (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Justin See (The University of Sydney) Dakila Yee (University of the Philippines Tacloban College)
Contribution short abstract:
We would like to open discussions about documented oral histories and digital narratives of resilience in the Global South. These are not always captured in academic literature yet offer relevant insights into local peoples' strengths, challenges, and successes through time.
Contribution long abstract:
The concept of climate resilient development is gaining traction in science and policy domains as the world attempts to transition away from carbon-intensive and highly inequitable development pathways. However, climate resilient development pathways continue to be framed and understood based on ‘Global North’ or Eurocentric paradigms, marginalising the perspectives and lived experiences of communities in the ‘Global South’.
This session is informed by a new project that aims to create spaces for local and grassroots perspectives to emerge. The project will review oral histories and digital narratives, and complement these with a series of participatory activities such as storytelling and collaborative workshops with community members in the Philippines to understand how people’s aspirations of ‘a good life’ can inform climate resilient development pathways. Oral histories can provide insights into the past that other archival or quantitative sources cannot. Similarly, digital narratives from social media content can provide important data on sentiments about ‘a good life’ pre- and post-disasters. Together, these can reveal further insights into local values and culture which are widely recognised to be a predictor of resilience.
We welcome insights from participants on the benefits and challenges of using documenting oral histories and digital narratives to capture peoples' lived experiences.