3 Apr 2022
10:00 - 17:00
Symposium: Decolonial Futures
Join us on 3rd April for the symposium of Decolonial Futures Winter School! The hybrid symposium will take place simultaneously in Amsterdam at Framer Framed and in Soweto at the ‘June 16 Interpretation Centre’ with performances, poetry interventions, lectures and a film screening that help us think through decoloniality in the context of art and education.
The symposium will feature keynote lectures from activist, author and public writer, Françoise Verges and political activist, educator and organiser Zama Mthunzi and finish with a celebratory dinner together.
Register here to join for the dinner after the program.
True decolonization is more than simply placing Indigenous or previously colonized people into positions held by colonizers. Decolonization includes the reevaluation of the political, social, economic and judicial structures themselves and the development, if appropriate, of new structures that can hold and house the values and aspirations of the colonized people.
– Poka Laenui in “Processes of Decolonization”
We will take the 5 stages of decolonization as proposed by Hawaiian human rights activist Poka Laenui as our starting point for the day. The author’s observations of stages that one tends to undergo during the decolonisation process have inspired ways of thinking around our own experiences as cultural producers, creatives and artists coming together in this moment. How do we remember and mourn? How do we dream and heal? How do we commit to action? These are some of the questions explored throughout the day’s programming.
The symposium will feature a keynote lecture from activist, author and public writer, Françoise Vergès, who will speak about the need to refuse the punitive obsession of the State and to work towards a horizon of revolutionary peace. A second keynote lecture will be given by political activist, educator and organiser Zama Mthunzi, who will speak about his experiences in post-apartheid social justice movements, including the 2015 #FeesMustFall protests and the organisation “Equal Education”. In Amsterdam we will end the symposium with an African dinner together to commemorate the Decolonial Futures Program so far.
The symposium is FREE and in ENGLISH but as we have limited space for food, please register for the dinner.
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
About
Decolonial Futures is a cultural exchange programme organised between the Sandberg Instituut, the Rietveld Academie and Framer Framed in Amsterdam and Funda Community College in Soweto, South Africa. This workshop series is part of the Decolonial Futures Winter School and the programme is open to students of the Sandberg Institute and the Rietveld Academy, cultural practitioners, and anyone willing decolonise their perspective, research and practice.
The programme was inspired by the desire to work collectively towards a decolonial future for art and design students through equal dialogue, the exchange of knowledges and perspectives. If you have any questions, please contact us at: info@decolonialfutures.org
The Decolonial Futures Winter School is supported by Framer Framed and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK).
Action Research / Community & Learning / Shared Heritage / Colonial history / South Africa /
Exhibitions
Project: Do It Together - DIT
DIT is a kitchen / a tent / a learning playground / a workshop...................
Agenda
Decolonial Futures Workshop Series: The Womb Republic - How to Rebirth
A cultural exchange programme with Funda Community College, Soweto, South Africa
Decolonial Futures Winter School: Creating Space for a Hundred Flowers to Bloom
A cultural exchange programme with Funda Community College, Soweto, South Africa
Network
Bukhosi Mzikayise Nyathi
Artist
Simangaliso Sibiya
Artist, curator and educator
