Isabetta Bleu

My arts practice is led by my teaching praxis which is defined as follows. People learn best when they are supported, both by their community and by those facilitating the learning environment. If a learner is interested in the subject material, they will naturally show up with a commitment to learn. This is supported by the continued interest of, and safe engagement with, other learners and facilitators in the environment.

The idea of “interest as compass” is crucial. Letting curiosity guide subject matter, navigation, and projects will help to build critical thinking skills. This demands a very creative and artistic way of thinking from all roles in the community. Within this praxis, syllabi look more like a sprawling network as opposed to a list of resources; containing (but not limited to) books, audio, video, people, spaces & environments, seeds, etc.

All learning goals within these environments are centered around the following description of community values and over arching themes: liberation, abolition, & decolonization. There is not a specific skillset or subject focus, rather all learning is done with the commitment to untangling the current inadequate and harmful systems & towards building a new one. The sheer building of relationships within this learning community is enough. A person, a contact, a relationship, a lived experience can act as a source on the syllabus network that is being built.

A decolonized learning environment demands a shift in understanding of chronology, evolution, environment, and social navigation. It must be intergenerational, not hierarchical. Roles are played by each individual, each is equally important and fluid. Even being human doesn’t mean your role is more important than the role of an animal, plant, or other being.

For success in this praxis, learners and facilitators alike should interact with great care and practice community guidelines that are established and reviewed by the community as a whole. Facilitators must practice trauma-informed and SEE (social, emotional, ethical) learning approaches. This creates space for all within the community to safely experience a range of emotions with each other.

This learning environment can exist almost anywhere. It is a web that is capable of being built by anyone who is devoted enough to building it.