Being Human as Praxis: Technology, Activism, Play

Image by 愚木混株

I’m very excited to present ‘Being Human as Praxis’, a series of events I have organised together with my teaching team at Winchester School of Art as part of Southampton’s ‘Human Worlds’ digital festival of the humanities (12-22 November 2020).

In an interview published in 2015, the Jamaican writer, critic, and philosopher Sylvia Wynter concludes her discussion of the history of Western humanism with the suggestion that in today’s world “humanness is no longer a noun. Being human is a praxis”.[1] This statement feels especially resonant as we learn new ways of being in lockdown and in quarantine. But what does it mean to practice being human? And how can we use this creative process to change the world around us? For Wynter, putting our humanness into practice is not just central to understanding ourselves and our world. It is crucial for activism and social justice—to our hope for the future, but also for the present and the past. Through a series of free online workshops, discussions, and other creative activities, ‘Being Human as Praxis’ will explore different ways of examining and practicing our humanness. It will also offer examples of how this praxis can change the world for the better.

This programme is co-hosted by the MA in Global Media Management, and the new Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities, which will be officially launched on 21 November 2020. ‘Being Human as Praxis’ represents a wonderful opportunity for networking and disscussion between researchers and creatives in the UK, as well as an opportunity for incoming MA Global Media Management students to engage with local thinkers, familiarise themselves with key issues in media studies, and explore this year’s GMM annual theme (‘Activism’).

Preview the full programme of online events below, and reserve your free place through Eventbrite now.

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