A deschooled environment for building convivial cultures
The Center for Arts, Design, and Social Research (CAD+SR) is now accepting applications for its 2024-2025 Research Fellowship program at The After School. This innovative, deschooled educational initiative is set to run from September 28, 2024, to June 8, 2025, offering participants the opportunity to engage in a global, self-organized learning community. The program includes two immersive in-person residencies, complemented by regular online assemblies and collaborations.
The After School is an experiment in alternative education, inspired by Ivan Illich’s 1971 book Deschooling Society, which critiques traditional schooling systems as restrictive and exploitative. Illich’s work argues for forms of learning that exist beyond institutionalized education, promoting the use of lived experiences and collective knowledge. In alignment with this philosophy, The After School fosters a collaborative, non-hierarchical learning environment that draws on the diverse perspectives and experiences of its international participants.
A Deschooled, Global Learning Experience
The After School is a dynamic space where arts, design, and research intersect with social justice and equity. The program is built around the concept of translocality, meaning it connects participants and communities across different geographical locations, fostering solidarity and collective care. The program welcomes participants from all over the world, with no central hierarchy, instead focusing on building relationships and knowledge-sharing between individuals, communities, and locales.
Two in-person research residencies serve as cornerstones of the program. The first will be held in Kenya from November 5 to 14, 2024, in partnership with the Neo Sinoxolo Musangi and the Center for the Arts at Tafaria Foundation. The second residency will take place from March 27 to April 5, 2025, at Theira Commune in Tire, Turkey, co-organized with Pelin Tan. These residencies provide participants the opportunity to deeply engage with local cultures and knowledge systems, as well as collaborate on a variety of research and creative projects.
Outside of the residencies, participants will engage in monthly online “Common Assemblies,” alongside smaller group meetings and self-organized regional sessions. These gatherings will provide space for discussions, research presentations, and collaborations with fellow participants and visiting artists. The monthly interactions will continue to cultivate the knowledge and relationships formed during the residencies.
Global Collaboration and Creation
The After School encourages a wide array of outputs from its fellows, including collaborative research projects, films, soundscapes, gardens, performances, structures, publications, workshops, and exhibitions. The program is designed to offer both structure and spontaneity, allowing participants to experiment and innovate within an open and supportive environment. The cross-pollination of ideas and practices among participants, visiting faculty, and local collaborators will generate new forms of artistic and social expression.
One of the defining characteristics of The After School is its commitment to fostering equitable global diversity. By working with various communities and knowledge systems from across the world, The After School challenges dominant narratives and encourages participants to question traditional power structures. Through this process, participants will gain an understanding of how place, culture, and history influence social and political dynamics, leading to more thoughtful and inclusive approaches to global issues.
Faculty and Collaborators
The After School is facilitated by CAD+SR’s Senior Researchers, who include Dalida María Benfield, Christopher Bratton, Luigi Coppola, Ou Ning, Bruno Moreschi, Neo Sinoxolo Musangi, and Pelin Tan. These experts bring diverse experiences, geographies, and practices to the program, serving as both mentors and co-researchers. The program will also feature distinguished visiting artists and faculty fellows, such as artist Anita Kavochy, the Maasai Mbili collective, writer Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, and Renan Laru-an, Artistic Director of SAVVY Contemporary.
These collaborators will engage with participants through workshops, lectures, and creative projects, providing invaluable opportunities to connect with leading voices in the arts, design, and research fields.
Planetary Mission and Impact
CAD+SR’s mission is global in scope, with a commitment to addressing urgent challenges through creative and critical inquiry. The After School exemplifies this mission by bringing together diverse individuals and communities from across the world, united by a shared commitment to equity, creativity, and social justice.
Since its founding, CAD+SR has organized a wide range of research and creative initiatives, including the first session of The After School, which is ongoing through November 2024. Other notable projects include Technologies of Critical Conscientization in Brazil, Un-Writing Nature in Kenya and Italy, Black Planetary Futures in South Africa and Senegal, and Cosmological Gardens in Italy. Each of these initiatives has focused on fostering new ways of knowing and doing, driven by the creative power of difference.
The application deadline for The After School 2024-2025 fellowship is August 30, 2024, and interested applicants are encouraged to attend an information session on August 24, 2024, via Zoom. This unique opportunity will allow participants to engage in a transformative learning experience, grounded in global collaboration and equity.
