A lecture series for design teachers, researchers, and students that shares feminist practices from within.

Education is inherently political. Feminist activists and pedagogues have taught us that education shapes what is considered to be “knowledge,” whose perspectives are amplified, and who gains access. Unfortunately, common design practice, its history, pedagogy, and institutions remain predominantly Western, white, privileged, cisgender, and able-bodied. By continuing to frame design as “apolitical” and “neutral,” these structures perpetuate colonial violence, emphasize hierarchy, reproduce exclusionary ideals of “quality,” and systemically exclude marginalized groups.

For educators and students working against these barriers, the road is fraught with institutional obstacles and discrimination as they engage in unpaid emotional and political labor within precarious circumstances. While trying—and often failing—to introduce change among our faculties, schools, and institutions, we feel isolated, lonely, demotivated, and even hopeless at times.

Design Educators* Unite! provides a community to help each other face these challenges. This para-academic learning program is dedicated to critically exploring approaches to learning, teaching, and practicing design rooted in feminisms and social justice. This space fosters criticality, meaningful exchange, and support for design teachers, students, and researchers in the face of institutionalized discrimination.

From February to June 2024, seven online lectures and a roundtable discussion will share insights from within the classroom and education research. Our guests will discuss how they bring disability justice into the classroom, tackle systemic discrimination in design institutions, challenge hegemonic narratives in design history, attempt to decolonize and depatriarchalize design curricula, and much more!

Each event will be followed by an open discussion, where you can pose direct questions to the lecturer and other participants from all over the world. All lectures will be available synchronously via Zoom and asynchronously as recordings on Vimeo.

You will also be invited to join the Futuress Slack platform to continue sharing and learning from others. Our Futuress Slack channel consists of participants from past and present Futuress learning programs, and is a growing community of designers, researchers, educators, and activists from all corners of the world.

Overview

• Start: February 22, 2024
  
• End: June 27, 2024
  
  
• 7 lectures and 1 roundtable discussion
  
  
• All events are available
  a) synchronously via Zoom and
  b) asynchronously as recordings on Vimeo
  
  
• Always at 6 pm CE(S)T
  
  
• Prices available on a sliding scale:
  • Solidarity: CHF 280
  • Standard: CHF 140
  • Student: CHF 70
  • Reduced  Student: CHF 35
    
    

Registrations are possible on a rolling basis! For those with limited finances, particularly those self-identifying as marginalized, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, chronically ill, or disabled, we offer a reduced student price. We trust your honesty and do not require proof of self-identification for enrollment.

The Program

Feb 22, 2024 | 6 pm CET, Roundtable Discussion with Cherrypye, Clara Meliande and Josefina Vidal

Mar 21, 2024 | 6 pm CET with Layla Gharib

Apr 11, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Sloan Leo Cowan

May 2, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Giuliana Cordoba and Emilia Odriozola, AUGE FADU

May 23, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Nina Mühlemann

June 6, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Elizabeth Chin

June 13, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Ramia Mazé

June 27, 2024 | 6 pm CEST with Francisco Quiñones Cuartas and Virginia Silveira, Mocha Celis

Find more detailed information on futuress.org!