Breaking free from the rules
‘Again and again in her book, Boone shares a popular proverb in Mende society that declares: “There is a thing passing in the sky; some thick clouds surround it; the uninitiated see nothing.” Explaining to those who not intimately grasp the significance of these words, Boone states: “This proverb presents the idea of initiation as a condition of seeing, as personal enlightenment. Everything is out in the open; nothing is purposefully hidden. Seasons change; Rota and fauna go through their life cycles; people move about, interact, handle objects; events take place; things ‘happen.’ Initiates have their eyes opened, so they have ‘eyes to see.’ These ‘eyes’ are metaphysical: an informed intellect, a widened vision, a deepened discernment.” This proverb easily applies to the way in which art created by African-Americans is looked at and talked about. All too often the “uninitiated see nothing…… All too often the price of the ticket for inclusion is that we are subordinated in new and different ways. Clearly, this has happened in the art world.’ Hooks, B, (1995) ‘Talking Art as the Sprit Moves Us’ ‘, in ‘Art on my Mind: Visual Politics’. New York: The New York Press, pp.101-107.
Reading this I reflect on how this can also be applied education. As educators, we ask if students perceive that “nothing is purposefully hidden” when entering the unfamiliar environment of the institute. Do we believe they understand the structures and expectations we place on them; do we give them the tools to navigate through layers of bureaucracy and institutional rules. Do we create an environment of inclusion.
I often find myself working in an institute padded with bureaucracy, reflecting on the rules, expectations, and norms that can be hard to see through or fully comprehend. In this context, I wonder if students are “initiated” into our systems of knowledge. Are our expectations clear, or are they hidden—hidden rules, hidden languages? And how much room is there for them to bend the rules or find new ways of understanding and engaging with knowledge within these unfamiliar structures?
For students to actively participate in their own journey of learning, they must be given the tools to bend and even make the rules—an idea that Dr. Gurnam Singh explores in his session, “Bending the Rules.” Dr. Singh discusses the origin of the word “rule,” which comes from the term “ruler,” a straight stick used for measuring, suggesting that rules were originally created to bring order. However, Singh advocates for bending the rules in the context of arts education.
Incorporating the idea of flexibility into the learning process encourages both students and educators to adopt a mindset that fosters curiosity, innovation, and the understanding that knowledge is not static. It evolves through collaboration and the exploration of multiple perspectives. Students bring with them a multitude of perspectives, knowledge, and cultures. How can we create environments that are not dominated only by our supposed “informed intellect,” “widened vision,” or “deepened discernment”?
As Kate Brooks points out, “Tutors need to become facilitators of the learning process rather than gatekeepers of knowledge, and students need more encouragement to reflect on their own learning journeys.”
I would add to this—’students need more encouragement to reflect on their own learning journeys, as well as their personal cultural identities and the wider communities they are part of.
References
Hooks, B, (1995) ‘Talking Art as the Sprit Moves Us’ ‘, in ‘Art on my Mind: Visual Politics’. New York: The New York Press, pp.101-107.
Brooks, K. (2008) ”Could do it better’: students’ critique of written feedback, Art Design Media Subject Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol pp.1-5.
Teaching and Learning exchange. (2021) ‘Bending the rules with Dr Gurnam Singh’, The Exchange blog, 21 April. https://tle.myblog.arts.ac.uk/bending-the-rules-with-dr-gurnam-singh/