How would YOU like to change education?

We spend on average 3000 days in school during our entire education, which is roughly 1/5th of our entire lives. Is this the best use of our time or could learning happen in other and more inspiring ways?

Voicing your Future is a collection of thoughts, ideas and stories from children, youngsters and adults about how we can change education to make it more meaningful and provide better tools for us to engage creatively in our lives and future challenges.

The voices are gathered in a custom-made box co-designed by architect Alice Sturt. The Bellingham box was made by Doug Banner, who was also a collaborator in the Bellingham show and helped me roll it around campus at Western Washington University for a week and is now taking it on new adventures!

People can contribute to the project by sharing their thoughts in the box or emailing me their video story or response to my questions or their artworks, texts and poems. For instructions and questions to get you going read here.

Contributions are published on the project website and shown during and after the show.  www.voicingyourfuture.no

Voicing Your Future is a part of the touring exhibition Back to the Sandbox – Art as Radical Pedagogy  (Also called Child as a teacher) curated by Jaroslav Andel.

Exhibited at Stavanger Kunsthall, Norway 26th January-12th March 2017 and at Western Gallery, Western University Washington, Bellingham, US 9th January-17th March 2018. I have contributed to the exhibition as well as the International Summit.

A group exhibition focusing on the relationship between art and radical pedagogy. Curated by Jaroslav Andel this traveling exhibition brings together works by artists who view education as a critical field of study in contemporary society, and who consider creativity an integral part of the learning process.

Inspired by the paradox of diminishing learning capacities in children upon entering formal schooling, the exhibition focuses on the historical interdependency of art, science, education, and democracy. Rooted in the age of the Enlightenment and industrial society, the present system of education also carries the institutional heritage of discipline and control. On the other hand, reform movements such as progressive and radical pedagogy have advanced the ideas of freedom and equality, and with them the role of art and creativity.

The project is based on collaborations by leading international artists, scientists, and educators and includes works of art, archival and documentary material as well as a series of public events such as workshops, discussions, and lectures.

Participating artists include Eva Bakkeslett, Luis Camnitzer, Priscila Fernandes, Michael Joaquin Grey, Ane Hjort Guttu, Markus Kayser, Eva Kotátková, James Mollison, Petr Nikl, Renzo Piano, Calvin Seibert, and Society for a Merrier Present.

Press:  Det tapte dannelsesidealet, Klassekampen 21. januar 2017

Here is an extract from the exhibition catalogue written bay the curator.

Here is the wall text from the show.

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