Performing Living Knowledge: Developing a replicable model for arts-based empowerment of marginalised urban communities in Uganda and Malawi

实践生活知识：为乌干达和马拉维的边缘化城市社区开发一个可复制的基于艺术的赋权模式

• 批准号: AH/P009662/1
• 负责人: Jane Plastow
• 金额: $ 10.27万
• 依托单位: University of Leeds
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2017 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FP009662%2F1
• 关键词: Performing; Living; Knowledge; Developing; replicable

This project builds on the arts and social science activities pioneered by the Uganda strand of the AHRC funded INTERSECTION project, under the Care for the Future programme. The project worked over 20 months with 60+ volunteer members of a working class community in Walukuba, Jinja, in eastern Uganda. It built an intergenerational, inter-ethnic, inter-religious, cross-gender community group of widely divergent educational attainment; that engaged in a sustained process of embodied arts-based action research and dialogic debate emerging from locally identified environmental concerns. The project led to both horizontal - community to community, and vertical - community to stake holders and policy makers - interventions and knowledge exchange events combining performance and debate. Marked gains in community cohesion, confidence, advocacy and activism were achieved (McQuaid & Plastow 2017; film 'We Are Walukuba' https://vimeo.com/171216540/e04de5b695). The group registered as a Community Based Organisation 'We Are Walukuba' in November 2015 in recognition of the transformative value participants ascribed to the project.This proposal builds on the unforeseen achievements, beyond original research aims, of the group and our Frierean-inspired methodology (Friere, 1970) that invoked a virtuous circle of action (arts-based embodied exploration of of issues identified as concerning the community) and reflection (group discussion of critical reflections generated by activities undertaken), and appetite expressed by the community to continue to work together and build their skills to become more effective community advocates. In consultation with We Are Walukuba - henceforth WAW - it was agreed that what the group needed in order become self-sustaining in the longer term, and to complete the transformation into a group of self-confident independent advocates for their community, was targeted training by experts in a range of arts and organisational skills. The skills needed were discussed in a series of community meetings with WAW, Plastow and McQuaid in August 2016. It was agreed these would be delivered in 1-2 week blocks where workers could take time out of work and mothers could be provided with child care. Each group of 6-12 trainees would undertake to in turn pass on the skills acquired to the wider group. The impact of this first stage of the project will be evidenced by a series of community organised performative and knowledge exchange events utilising the skills acquired.The second stage of the work is focused on scaling up the project; demonstrating how it provides a replicable model for arts-based, dialogic community empowerment, by reproducing its essential stages, learnt from the Uganda experience, over a four month period in an analogous working class community (Mtogolo village) in Zomba, Malawi. Building on the particular knowledges and contacts of our Malawian Researcher, Zindaba Chisiza, we will collaborate with a local HE partner- the Department of Performing Arts, University of Malawi, and a local arts-based NGO, YONECO. We will enable all three parties, working as equals, to mutually learn, both a new methodology for community engagement, and to share the knowledges and perspectives of all concerned about the community-selected broad topic under investigation. The final 3 months of the project will be given over to:* co-production of a co-authored community book sharing the experiences of the project in both sites* co-production of a manual in the form of a multi-media website, explaining the methodology of the project* supporting Chancellor College in reviewing and reforming its arts for development curriculum in the light of the project* supporting the NGO in reviewing and reforming its arts for development training and approach* dissemination events in Uganda, Malawi and the UK* evaluation of the impact of the work in both Malawi and Uganda and on all involved in the project.

该项目建立在由人权委员会资助的“关爱未来”方案下的“十字路口”项目乌干达部分开创的艺术和社会科学活动的基础上。该项目历时20个多月，来自乌干达东部金贾瓦鲁库巴一个工人阶级社区的60多名志愿者参与了该项目。它建立了一个教育程度差异很大的跨代、跨种族、跨宗教、跨性别的社区群体；它参与了一个持续的以具体艺术为基础的行动研究和对话辩论的过程，这些讨论源于当地确定的环境问题。该项目带来了横向（社区对社区）和纵向（社区对利益相关者和决策者）的干预和知识交流活动，这些活动结合了绩效和辩论。在社区凝聚力、信心、倡导和行动主义方面取得了显著进展（McQuaid & Plastow 2017；电影《We Are Walukuba》https://vimeo.com/171216540/e04de5b695）。该组织于2015年11月注册为社区组织“We Are Walukuba”，以表彰该项目参与者的变革价值。这一建议建立在不可预见的成就之上，超越了最初的研究目标，小组和我们的弗里林启发的方法（弗里埃，1970年），它调用了一个良性循环的行动（以艺术为基础的具体探索确定为与社区有关的问题）和反思（由所进行的活动产生的批判性反思的小组讨论）。社区表达了继续合作的意愿，并建立他们的技能，成为更有效的社区倡导者。在与We Are Walukuba（以下简称WAW）协商后，我们一致认为，为了实现长期的自我维持，并完成向社区自信独立倡导者的转变，该组织需要由专家进行一系列艺术和组织技能方面的有针对性的培训。2016年8月，WAW、Plastow和McQuaid在一系列社区会议上讨论了所需的技能。双方同意，这些服务将在1-2周的时间内交付，工人们可以从工作中抽出时间，母亲们可以照顾孩子。每组6-12名受训者将承诺依次将获得的技能传授给更广泛的组。项目第一阶段的影响将通过一系列社区组织的表演和知识交流活动来证明，这些活动利用了所获得的技能。第二阶段的工作重点是扩大项目规模；通过在马拉维Zomba的一个类似的工人阶级社区（Mtogolo村）进行为期四个月的复制，从乌干达的经验中复制其基本阶段，展示了它如何为基于艺术的对话社区赋权提供了一个可复制的模式。基于我们的马拉维研究员Zindaba Chisiza的特殊知识和联系，我们将与当地的高等教育合作伙伴——马拉维大学表演艺术系，以及当地以艺术为基础的非政府组织YONECO合作。我们将使三方平等合作，相互学习，既能获得社区参与的新方法，又能就社区选择的广泛调查课题分享各方的知识和观点。项目的最后3个月将用于：*共同撰写一本社区书籍，分享两个地点的项目经验*以多媒体网站的形式共同制作一本手册；解释项目的方法*支持校长学院根据项目审查和改革其艺术促进发展课程*支持非政府组织审查和改革其艺术促进发展培训和方法*在乌干达、马拉维和英国的传播活动*评估马拉维和乌干达工作的影响以及对项目所有参与者的影响。