Critical Pedagogies: What constitutes ‘critical’ pedagogy for art and art history today?

Day: Thursday 5 April

Convenors

Emily Pringle (Tate)
Trevor Horsewood (Association for Art History)

Session Abstract

This session explores a range of connotations and theoretical positions associated with the term ‘critical’ and its relation to teaching and learning in art and art history today. Set against a backdrop of ‘critical pedagogy’ and the work of theorists such as Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux and bell hooks, the session explores what forms of teaching and learning are critical, in other words essential, in a global social and educational context.

The session comprises contributions from UK and international artists, art historians and educators that address recent research and/or provide vibrant and robust arguments that make explicit the theoretical basis for art education practice in formal, informal and non-formal learning settings. In particular, the session seeks to explore how and why art and art history pedagogy affords critical readings of society and our place within it. The session reviews the historic role of critical pedagogy in art and art history education and its relevance today, presents case studies of programmes utilising critical pedagogy, and considers the global challenges and opportunities facing art education pedagogy now.

Through a combination of both papers and world-café ‘provocations’, this session will examine extant and emerging research from a range of theoretical and institutional perspectives. The more discursive afternoon session is intended to allow for greater discussion and knowledge exchange, in line with the ethos of critical pedagogy. Contributions and presentations from the session will form a publication for wider circulation in summer 2018.

Speakers and Papers

Pat Thomson (University of Nottingham) A New Role for Visual Arts and Art Teaching in a Post-Critical, Post-Humanist Education?

Charlotte Bik Bandlien (Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO)) Post-Art Pedagogy

Matthew Cornford and Naomi Salaman (University of Brighton) Teaching Art Students Art History: Radical pedagogy in British art schools

Joanne Crawford (University of Leeds) Critical Art History As/Is Critical Art Practice

Jane Trowell (University of Nottingham) Before we Begin: Whiteness and coloniality in art education

Riikka Haapalainen (Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Espoo) Gallery Education as the Radical Act of Hospitality

Kimberley Foster (Goldsmiths) Pedagogies of Attention and Matter

Emily Pringle (Tate) Sustaining Critical Pedagogy in ‘Dark Times’

Panel discussion will follow with contributions from presenters and delegates.