I had the pleasure of attending the Workshop on Design for Tactile and Embodied Learning in Atlanta, US, organised by Abigale Stangl and colleagues. She is the Director of MultiSense Studio and an Assistant Professor at the College of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech.
The workshop opened up a caring and open space to critically discuss the central role of embodiment in learning and inclusion. We brought different sets of expertise to the table, facilitating a series of activities around design for tactile and embodied knowledge. As part of my participation, I had the task of opening the activities with a one-hour session where I introduced the notion of embodied sensitisation we use in soma design practice. My activities focused on sensitising our bodies from the inside out, from interoceptive to proprioceptive awareness. To do this, I guided participants through introspective exercises inspired by my practices in Focusing and micro-phenomenology, where I centred on evoking tactile and non-visual experiences. We finished the session by engaging in slow walking, noticing the changes in our balance and sense of self.
During the workshop activities and discussions, we questioned the primary role of visualism in knowledge production—and design by extension. Having the chance to attend to our sense of touch systematically for three days felt like a luxury. We definitely need more of these spaces in academia!
More information about this event here
claudianunezpacheco.com 