ilayda
altuntas
Decolonizing Practices in Art Education
Resonating Histories:
A Decolonial Sound Walk in Saguaro National Park West
"Resonating Histories: A Decolinial Soundwalk in Saguaro National Park" invites participants to engage in a series of immersive sound walks designed to deepen their connection to the land and explore decolonizing practices in art education. The first walk, “Tracing the Footsteps: A Sensory Journey into the Land’s History,” guides participants to reflect on the historical and cultural significance of the landscape through mindful movement and touch. The second, “Listening and Touch: Recording the Land’s Voice and Texture,” encourages active listening and sound recording, using natural elements to explore texture and the auditory richness of the desert. The final walk, “Embodying Decolonization: A Journey of Reflection and Movement,” leads participants through theatrical movements and critical thinking prompts that embody the themes of displacement, stewardship, and connection, fostering a profound sense of responsibility and respect for the land. Together, these walks create a powerful, multisensory experience that honors the land's stories and invites participants to carry these lessons into their practices in art and education.
This project is a place-based, experiential learning project that integrates art education, decolonizing practices, and sensory engagement. It falls under the realm of immersive art education and community-based learning, with a focus on fostering connections between participants and the historical and ecological narratives of Saguaro National Park. Overall, this project is a hybrid of art education, environmental education, and social justice that seeks to create meaningful connections to place through decolonizing practices and sensory engagement.
Sound Walking I:
“Tracing the Footsteps:
A Sensory Journey into the Land’s History”
A sensory-guided experience emphasizing reflection on the land’s history and natural elements.
Prompts participants to move, pause, and connect through mindful steps, touch, and observation.
Concludes with participants acknowledging their experience and commitment to respect and gratitude for the land.
Sound Walking II:
“Listening and Touch: Recording the Land’s
Voice and Texture”
Focuses on listening to and recording the natural sounds of Saguaro National Park while exploring textures through the foliage technique.
Includes periods for participants to pause and independently capture sounds and experiment with texture.
Encourages reflection on the recorded sounds and tactile experiences to deepen the connection with the environment.
Sound Walking III:
Decolonizing Sound Walk with Enhanced Movement
Voice and Texture”
Engages participants in imagining displacement, ownership vs. stewardship, and the loss of cultural connections.
Uses immersive movements, including steps forward or backward, raising hands, and bowing, to embody the experience.
Promotes empathy and reflection on how to carry the awareness gained into future actions.