Defy norms, undermine tropes, express criticism of structural and ideological concerns
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"School of Disobedience" is an experimental, anti-canonical and critical Art School for women. For all women regardless age, race, sexual orientation, religion, political leanings, professional and personal background...
Based on critical pedagogy, arts-based unlearning and empowerment techniques, the school helps participants achieve critical consciousness through the regular practice of questioning, protesting, resisting and revolting. The school is pop-up and nomadic: we change the venue every month. In June we are based in a theater (SK), in October in an art gallery (HU), in November in an abbey (FR), in January in a permaculture farm (HU)... Dislocating the school into new formal and informal indoor and outdoor places allows us to collaborate with local communities, try to stop geographical divisions, and respond to the evolution of social, political and ecological issues of our time. Classes are not held by "teachers" but by artists, collectives, representatives of local NGO-s, associations, and grassroots initiatives. We can say that this is a fieldwork- and practice-oriented school in which participants are not sitting passively in a classroom and conceptualizing nice things for the elite, but actually they are creating for everyone, making concrete actions for a better future, building bridges between those who have access to knowledge and art, and those who do not. |
Participants are encouraged to raise their voice, echo freely the broader socio-political context, challenge hegemonic class, gender, normative behaviors, and dominant ideologies, develop their capacities to resist, protest, revolt, fight against oppression: achieve structural and sustainable changes.
We - staff and participants included - believe that art can be used as a tool for social justice, and art can make the difference.
Instead of "regular classes", the school is composed of modular indoor and outdoor immersive experiences, field works with other social groups and micro-communities (juvenile gangs, clubs, sororities, the elderly, high school students...), in addition to creating, curating and organizing public events (exhibition, performance, public space intervention, rituals, celebrations, hiking...).
The program briefly introduces to participants a series of theoretical disciplines (psychology, anthropology, sociology, sexuality-, gender and queer Studies, womens' rights, body politics, auto-ethnography, politics of desire...), concepts (domination, oppression, collaboration, togetherness, collectivity, leadership, fear, trust, desire, love, intimacy, sexuality, life cycle, care, rituals, healing, sisterhood, witchcraft, eco-feminism...), artistic expressions (dance, choreography, performance, visual arts, community art, social choreography, experience design, immersive installations, digital media art, audio-visual displays, construction of interactive and multi-sensorial devices, costume design, mask making, creative writing...) together with professional tools (collaboration and co-creation practices, collective working methods...).
Through the regular practice of questioning, criticizing, protesting, resisting and revolting, participants quickly liberate themselves from their fears, transgress their boundaries, go beyond their limits and push themselves out of their comfort zone. Challenging artistic conventions and traditional canons, confronting standards, beauty norms, questioning social norms allow participants to acquire the ability to think and act freely and critically without worrying about others' gaze, judgment and expectations.
Day after day participants get to know themselves better and better, they develop self-confidence and self-love, in other words they build a solid basis to become afterwards autonomous and courageous people: dare to be themselves, fearlessly follow their own path, and be proudly and confidently themselves!
We - staff and participants included - believe that art can be used as a tool for social justice, and art can make the difference.
Instead of "regular classes", the school is composed of modular indoor and outdoor immersive experiences, field works with other social groups and micro-communities (juvenile gangs, clubs, sororities, the elderly, high school students...), in addition to creating, curating and organizing public events (exhibition, performance, public space intervention, rituals, celebrations, hiking...).
The program briefly introduces to participants a series of theoretical disciplines (psychology, anthropology, sociology, sexuality-, gender and queer Studies, womens' rights, body politics, auto-ethnography, politics of desire...), concepts (domination, oppression, collaboration, togetherness, collectivity, leadership, fear, trust, desire, love, intimacy, sexuality, life cycle, care, rituals, healing, sisterhood, witchcraft, eco-feminism...), artistic expressions (dance, choreography, performance, visual arts, community art, social choreography, experience design, immersive installations, digital media art, audio-visual displays, construction of interactive and multi-sensorial devices, costume design, mask making, creative writing...) together with professional tools (collaboration and co-creation practices, collective working methods...).
Through the regular practice of questioning, criticizing, protesting, resisting and revolting, participants quickly liberate themselves from their fears, transgress their boundaries, go beyond their limits and push themselves out of their comfort zone. Challenging artistic conventions and traditional canons, confronting standards, beauty norms, questioning social norms allow participants to acquire the ability to think and act freely and critically without worrying about others' gaze, judgment and expectations.
Day after day participants get to know themselves better and better, they develop self-confidence and self-love, in other words they build a solid basis to become afterwards autonomous and courageous people: dare to be themselves, fearlessly follow their own path, and be proudly and confidently themselves!
what is school?
For a school of tomorrow, we want to create an environment that is above all joyful and positive, where students are accepted, respected, challenged, where beyond constructive criticism they receive encouragement. Where students are neither put in boxes, neither criticized, nor judged. Where students can express themselves openly, courageously and simply. Where they are taught autonomy and independence without being abandoned, where they are accompanied and supported in their projects and in their dreams. Where students not only have the right to go against canons, traditions, conventions and norms, but where they are encouraged to do so. Where other forms of knowledge than theoretical are also considered and taught. Emotions, intuitions, feelings, sentiments. Personal stories, life experiences. In the school of tomorrow teachers do not tell students what to think, what to believe in, but open doors for them and offer them a multitude of possibilities, knowledge, ways of doing and ways of seeing things. Teachers do not take advantage of the young age and the extreme sensitivity of the students to influence them, to transmit their personal convictions and struggles. Rather they teach them critical thinking, doubt and skepticism. Open-mindedness, curiosity, empathy. Authenticity, sincerity, tolerance. This school would then be human, warm, positive, encouraging and generous. This school is going to raise students, teach them to trust in themselves, believe in themselves, be themselves. This school will make students become beautiful people. This school’s name is “School of Disobedience“.
