Short Abstract:

We will collaboratively explore the concept of (un)belonging and the power and politics of the decolonial self. By focusing on what it means to belong, and the tensions created by this desire, we aim to unpack this transgenerational challenge as a means to creatively (re)imagine Africanness.

Long Abstract:

Velickovic conceptualises (un)belonging as “a productive tension” that through its “performative and imaginative potential” allows for the transformation of “painful experiences of unbelonging into creative counter-strategies.” To be African in the European academy is to hold a contested position due to historical views of Africans as knowable rather than knowledgeable beings; it is to be longing for something tangible yet out of reach, creating tensions that must be addressed.

This collaborative workshop aims to engage with the complexities of belonging through individuals’ continual re-positioning in postcolonial societies and institutions. It is envisioned as an intimate, creativity-fostering space in which stories of (un)belonging foster explorations into the intersubjectivity of the (in)voluntary inheritance of the transgenerational migratory experience. The decolonial self - the result of this constant re-positioning - becomes the site, in which tensions transform into agency and self-empowerment.

In order to work in an intimate space that creates a trusting environment, a maximum of 15 participants would be ideal. Collaboratively and with the existing knowledge of the participants, we will work in groups to capture the various aspects of responses to this tension, such as “space”, “music”, “language”, and “emotions”. As a means of decolonial knowledge production, the session's findings will be used to create a piece of art whose format will be decided by the participants. In keeping with decolonial principles, the output from the workshops will be made publicly available and easily accessible to all interested.

Let the organisers know you wish to participate at the workshop: https://forms.gle/366eMXVegmD8cYfn7