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Cultural mediation and its creative potency in collaborative and participative processes in educators’ formation

Peixoto de Alencar, Valeria

Abstract

This article presents reflections on collaborative work in processes of educators’ formation where the cultural mediation is a strategy and creative potency. Two cases will be presented: the mediators’ course formation to 32nd São Paulo Bienal of Arts and the Aprendendo com Arte (Learning with Art) course at the Fundação Volkswagen (Volkswagen Foundation) in a partnership with the Instituto Arte na Escola (Art in School Institute). From the testimonials of some of the mediators in these projects some considerations and reflections will be woven for the issues that moved this article: what is cultural mediation as an educational strategy? What are the relationships between mediation and collaboration in educational processes? And, how such relations reverberate in and beyond the work of mediators.

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38 // Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681· DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 Cul u al media ion and i s c ea i e po ency in collabo a i e and pa icipa i e p ocesses in educa o s’ o ma ion La mediación cul u al y su po encia c ea i a en los p ocesos colabo a i os y pa icipa i os en la o mación de educado es | A mediação cul u al e sua po ência c ia i a em p ocessos colabo a i os e pa icipa i os na o mação de educado es Vale ia Peixo o de Alenca | [email p o ec ed] INSTITUTO ARTE NA ESCOLA – IAE · INSTITUTO DE ARTES - UNESP | BRASIL Recebido · Recei ed · Recibido: 02/12/2020 | Acei o · Accep ed · Acep ado: 30/04/2021 DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 A ículo bajo licencia C ea i e Commons BY-NC-SA · A igo sob licença C ea i e Commons BY- NC-SA · A icle unde C ea i e Commons license BY-NC-SA Como ci a es e a igo · Cómo ci a es e a ículo · How o ci e his a icle: Peixo o de Alenca , V. (2021). Cul u al media ion and i s c ea i e po ency in collabo a i e and pa icipa i e p ocesses in educa o s’ o ma ion . Communia s. Re is a de Imagen, A es y Educacion C í ica y Social, 5, 38-53. Abs ac : This a icle p esen s e lec ions on collabo a i e wo k in p ocesses o educa o s ’ o ma ion whe e he cul u al media ion is a s a egy and c ea i e po ency. Two cases will be p esen ed: he media o s ’ cou se o ma ion o 32nd São Paulo Bienal o A s and he Ap endendo com A e (Lea ning wi h A ) cou se a he Fundação Volkswagen (Volkswagen Founda ion) in a pa ne ship wi h he Ins i u o A e na Escola (A in School Ins i u e). F om he es imonials o some o he media o s in hese p ojec s some conside a ions and e lec ions will be wo en o he issues ha mo ed his a icle: wha is cul u al media ion as an educa ional s a egy? Wha a e he ela ionships be ween media ion and collabo a ion in educa ional p ocesses? And, how such ela ions e e be a e in and beyond he wo k o media o s. Keywo ds: Cul u al Media ion. Collabo a i e p ocesses in educa ion. Educa o s’ o ma ion. 32nd São Paulo Bienal o A s. Lea ning wi h A . Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 // 39 DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 · COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681 Resumen: Es e a ículo p esen a e lexiones sob e el abajo colabo a i o en p ocesos de o mación de educado es donde la mediación cul u al es una es a egia y po encia c ea i a. Se p esen a án dos casos: el cu so de o mación de mediado es pa a la 32ª Bienal de A es de São Paulo y el cu so Ap endendo com A e de la Fundación Volkswagen en colabo ación con el Ins i u o A e na Escola. A pa i de los es imonios de algunos de los mediado es de es os p oyec os se ejen algunas conside aciones y e lexiones pa a las cues iones que han mo ido es e a ículo: ¿qué es la mediación cul u al como es a egia educa i a? ¿Cuáles son las elaciones en e la mediación y la colabo ación en los p ocesos educa i os? Y, cómo epe cu en dichas elaciones en el abajo de los mediado es y más allá de él. Palab as cla es: Mediación cul u al. P ocesos de colabo ación en la educación. Fo mación de educado es. 32ª Bienal de São Paulo. Ap ende con el a e. Resumo: Es e a igo ap esen a e lexões ace ca do abalho colabo a i o em p ocessos de o mação de educado es em que êm a mediação cul u al como es a égia e po ência c ia i a. Dois casos se ão ap esen ados: o cu so de o mação de mediado es pa a a 32ª. Bienal de A es de São Paulo e o cu so Ap endendo com A e da Fundação Volkswagen em pa ce ia com o Ins i u o A e na Escola. A pa i de alguns depoimen os de mediado es nes es p oje os se ão ecidas algumas conside ações e e lexões pa a as ques ões que mo e am es e a igo: o que é mediação cul u al como uma es a égia educacional? Quais são as elações en e mediação e colabo ação em p ocessos educa i os? E, como ais elações e e be am no e pa a além do abalho dos mediado es. Keywo ds: Mediação Cul u al. P ocessos colabo a i os em educação. Fo mação de educado es. 32ª. Bienal de São Paulo. Ap endendo com A e. … … a desi e o lea ning is a desi e o new s a es o exis ence (Dennis A kinson) Once I was looking a some Facebook pos s and I wa ched a ideo abou dea people and hei daily p oblems, banal hings o mos o he hea ing people. This ideo eminded me abou B uno Vi al, a dea educa o ha once I had he pleasu e o wo k wi h, because hings like sending audio messages o ou Wha sApp g oup, o showing unsub i led ideos o ideos ha a e no ansla ed in o Sign Language makes his wo ld, mo e speci ically ou wo k, inaccessible. I keep wi h me he lessons I ha e lea ned om him and, I belie e, all he membe s o ha eam wo k ha e also changed, e en hough we don ’ wo k oge he anymo e. I wo ked wi h B uno when I was hi ed as he educa ional eam supe iso o he 32nd São Paulo Bienal o A s in 2016. In 1995, I s a ed wo king as a museum educa o . Since 2006, I wo k supe ising o coo dina ing lea ning depa men s o se e al ins i u ions. In o mal 40 // Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681· DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 educa ion, I ha e wo ked as a p o esso as well. In all hese p o essional ac i i ies I ha e de eloped an educa ional s a egy: he « cul u al media ion » 1 . This pape is abou cul u al media ion and i s c ea i e po ency in collabo a i e and pa icipa i e p ocesses in educa o s’ o ma ion. Fo his, I will discuss wo main concep s: cul u al media ion and collabo a i e p ocesses in educa ion and my ocus will be in educa o s ’ o ma ion. To his pu pose, I will ake wo cases: he 32nd São Paulo Bienal o A s and he Ap endendo com A e (Lea ning wi h A ), an e-lea ning cou se by Fundação Volkswagen (Volkswagen Founda ion) in a pa ne ship wi h he Ins i u o A e na Escola (A in School Ins i u e). The main ques ions he e a e: Wha ’s he cul u al media ion as an educa ional s a egy? Wha a e he ela ions be ween media ion and collabo a ion in educa i e p ocesses? And how such ela ionships e e be a e in and beyond he wo k o media o s, conside ing he educa ion/li e ela ionship wi h he example I ci ed a he beginning o his ex . The analysis o he cases ci ed is pa ial. I is impo an o conside ha bo h in he 32nd Bienal as in he cou se Ap endendo com A e I was pa o he eam. O he analyzes we e ca ied ou a he ime, in collabo a i e and indi idual wo ks, his p esen a ion in ends o p o ide some e lec ions on he issues aised by such p ojec s. Cul u al Media ion o Museum Educa ion? When I was doing my doc o al esea ch abou cul u al media ion in his o y museums and hei isuali y (Alenca , 2015), e e y ime I needed o ansla e o English i s i le o w i e an a icle I was o en in doub , hen I had a conce n: should I use he e m ‘cul u al media ion‘ o ‘ museum educa ion‘? And why? In La in languages as F ench, Spanish and Po uguese, cul u al media ion is a common exp ession o designa e, o example, educa ional ac i i ies in museums. In B azil, i is mo e equen han museum educa ion, and he heo e ical discussion abou i is also common. The i s ime I hea d he wo d media ion o media o as a noun o desc ibe my unc ion as a museum educa o , I pic u ed ha pe son who s ay be ween wo candida es in a policy deba e. Indeed, his is media ion and b ings wi h i he idea o a con lic media ion and may cause communica ion noise, especially when we alk abou educa ion as a way o emancipa ion and dissensus (Ranciè e, 2011, 2014). When I was hi ed as a supe iso and aine o he media o s ’ eam o he 32nd São Paulo Bienal, he coo dina ion o he educa ional p og am issued a no ice calling o media o s o he wo k. I, a cul u al media ion esea che , ound ha o be a b eak h ough, a gain o he a ea, I had no doub abou i . I had been imme sed in my doc o al esea ch o ou yea s, s ill 1 Al hough i is no common he usage o he exp ession, “cul u al media ion” in he English Language, i ’s e y habi ual in Po uguese, F ench o Spanish. The same happens o “educa o o ma ion”, being eache aining commonly p e e ed. Howe e , beyond seman ics issues, hese choices we e kep in his pape and hey a e undamen al o unde s and he educa ional p oposals I will sha e, as hey will be u he explained. Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 // 41 DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 · COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681 accoun ing o yea s o wo k as a cul u al media o and my p e ious mas e 's esea ch ela ed o hese discussions (Alenca , 2008), so I was ull o ce ain ies in he “Li e unce ain y” 2 . I was when I came ac oss a inding: many o he media o s o he eam did no like being denomina ed like his. They a gued ha he e m educa o co esponded o a ca ego y o wo k ha should be ecognized, besides he e y common idea o he media ion o con lic s in educa ion, and hey also claimed ha educa ion is no abou media ion o con lic s. On he con a y, hey said ha educa ion was p o oca ion, cons uc ion o knowledge, i was con lic , which I ag eed. Bu , a e all, do we s ill need o discuss he concep o media ion? I seems so, because i is no a consensus, which is good, because i is he dissen ha is in he idea o media ion, which I sha e. Media ion as appeasemen ... – some hing ha he 32nd Bienal educa o s media o s c i icized. I began o wonde i his would no ha e been he idea when he e m s a ed o be used in museums, o appease he mul iple possibili ies o eading images and objec s, he di e en in e p e a ions and discussions, p o oked especially by con empo a y a educa ion p oposals and, hinking abou he his o y museums, like I did in my esea ch (Alenca , 2015) o he c i ical his o iog aphical e isions. Bu his is s ill specula ion on my pa . Howe e , he idea o cul u al media ion ha I sha e he e has no hing o do wi h media ion o con lic and appeasemen , bu a he wi h causing dissen (Ranciè e, 2014). The idea o con lic media ion would be close , o example, o wha Be na d Da as desc ibed as di ec i e media ion: In he cul u al and a is ic domain, wo g ea app oaches o media ion can be dis inguished. The i s is di ec i e and, in i s poo es o m, p o ides only an in e p e a i e sys em, imposing a single kind o unde s anding o he cul u al objec . In i s iches o m, i p oduces in e p e a i e sys ems ha y o a icula e, o no , and wo k oge he (Da as, 2009, p.37) 3 . So, using he isuali y o an exhibi ion o co obo a e a p e iously elabo a ed cu a o ial discou se ―p e iously elabo a ed by he media o―, is a o m o di ec i e, unila e al media ion. Al hough media ion s a egies may be discussed, o example by asking ques ions, i can also be a o m o di ec i e media ion depending on how he media o conduc s such ac i i y, whe he o no he o she ac ually lis ens o he spec a o ’s o he isi o ’s s a emen s and e lec ions. To lis en o, o conside and o a icula e he esponses o he spec a o s, o unde s and i as an educa ional wo k is hinking abou he educa o as a media o , since he di ec i e media ion can be a o m o ac ing o e en a unc ion o he media ion esou ces like he ex s on he wall and audio guides, o example. Howe e , d awing up a ques ion-based sc ip o econs uc a p e ious discou se b ings a p oblem, a single poin o iew does no conside he di e en con ex s, he di e en looks o ha isuali y, o ha subjec . The con ex o cul u al 2 The i le o he 32nd São Paulo Bienal o A s. 3 F ee ansla ion o : «No domínio cul u al e a ís ico podem-se dis ingui duas g andes abo dagens de mediação. A p imei a é di e i a e, em sua o ma mais pob e, o nece só um sis ema in e p e a i o, impondo um único ipo de comp eensão do obje o cul u al. Em sua o ma mais ica, p oduz sis emas in e p e a i os que en am se a icula , ou não, e abalha conjun amen e». (Da as, 2009, p.37). 42 // Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681· DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 media ion hus ends up becoming a con ex o an educa ion ha ep oduces he alues o he hegemonic cul u e, e en when he educa o is well-in en ioned: Such is he conce n o he enligh ened pedagogue: does he li le one unde s and? He doesn’ unde s and. I will ind new ways o explain i o him, ways mo e igo ous in p inciple, mo e a ac i e in o m [...]. A noble conce n. Un o una ely, i is jus his li le wo d, his slogan o he enligh ened – unde s and – ha causes all he ouble. I is his wo d ha b ings a hal o he mo emen o eason, ha des oys i s con idence in i sel , ha dis ac s i by b eaking he wo ld o in elligence in o wo, by ins alling he di ision be ween he g oping animal and he lea ned li le man, be ween common sense and science. [...] The child who eci es unde he h ea o he od obeys he od and ha ’s all: he will apply his in elligence o some hing else. Bu he child who is explained o will de o e his in elligence o he wo k o g ie ing: o unde s anding, ha is o say, o unde s anding ha he doesn’ unde s and unless he is explained o (Ranciè e, 1991, p.8, i alics in o iginal) 4 . Jacques Ranciè e’s ci a ion c i icizes he idea o an appa en ly p og essi e educa ion, ha is o say, many p eoccupa ions o explain a con en , many a emp s and p oposals ha do no ake in o accoun he subjec i i y o he lea ne , ha do no conside he lea ning p ocess o he o he , because “ he li le one” only exis s o a inal conclusion, a consensus: ha o he educa o /ins i u ion/exhibi ion. Resuming Da as’s (2009, p. 38) media ion app oaches, “ he second app oach o media ion is cons uc i is . By di e se in e oga i e, p oblema ic, p ac ical, in e ac i e means, i con ibu es o he eme gence o he cons uc ion o one o mo e in e p e a i e p ocesses by he “ ecipien o he media ion”. This second app oach may also be associa ed wi h ce ain ypes o media ion de ices: some wi h s ong echnological appeal nowadays, such as able and mobile apps ha allow a di e en way o looking a he exhibi ion, o e en in he display i sel , digi al ma e ials ha p esen con ex s and p oblems o e lec on he wo ks, o e en simple g aphic ma e ials ha p o oke an image eading. Usually such media ion de ices can be used by he public in gene al, wi h he pu pose o making he iewe unde s and and/o e lec on a pa icula a wo k, objec o image. Bu i is he ac ion o he educa o as a media o ha I wan o ocus he e, he media o educa o is he one who can use he objec o he a wo k, aking he isk o no knowing, o enhance he au onomy o he isi o 's o he s uden ’s gaze, o be awa e o he ac ha he ins i u ion and he himsel o she he sel b ings speeches om which he/she mus ge und essed. I is no abou seeking neu ali y, bu abou e lec ing on i s subjec i i y and aking he isk o no knowing (A kinson, 2011; Didi-Hube man, 2010), allowing he dissen ha “pu s a s ake a he same ime he e idence o wha is sensible, hinkable, and possible, and he di ision o hose who a e able o pe cei e, hink, and modi y he coo dina es o he common wo ld” (Ranciè e, 2014, p.49). 4 The ansla o has iden i ied he English e sion o he ci a ion used by he au ho in: Rancié e, J. (1991) The igno an schoolmas e . Fi e Lessons in In ellec ual Emancipa ion. S an o d, Cali o nia: S an o d Uni e si y P ess. T ansla ed wi h an in oduc ion by K is in Ross. Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 // 43 DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 · COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681 To p o oke dissen goes h ough pu ing him/he sel a isk o no knowing. As s a ed by Dennis A kinson (2011), he “ isk aking” is a common no ion among A educa o s o p omo e c ea i i y among s uden s, bu he p oposal is ha he s uden s ake he isk. Wha he au ho p o okes us o e lec on is ha he educa o mus also ake he isk o p omo e he “e en ” o a eal lea ning o ake place (A kinson, 2011). Collabo a ion, pa icipa ion and hei ela ionship wi h Media ion as a s a egy Ea lie I e e ed o he e m cul u al media ion as an educa ional wo k ela ed o museums and exhibi ions. I was in his en i onmen ha he concep eme ged in my p o essional li e, he same con ex whe e mos o he deba es and esea ches a e also concen a ed. Howe e , in addi ion o wo king in museums and exhibi ions, I am a p o esso and eache s’ educa o in o mal and non- o mal educa ion, and om some yea s o he p esen I ha e ied o ake ideas abou cul u al media ion, especially in i s cons uc i is app oach (Da as, 2009), o hese spaces. Whe he in Bachelo 's deg ee cou ses class oom, o in exhibi ions media o s o ma ion cou ses, o in a dis ance con inuing educa ion cou se o eache s, such as Ap endendo com A e. ... i is in e es ing o hink ha om he s a I unde s ood and concei ed he media ion as a collabo a i e p ocess, an encoun e be ween people whe e e e yone is p esen in he building o c ea ing some hing. I is almos he same as saying ha media ion is a collabo a i e p ocess (Camila Lia, media o a Ap endendo com A e). And in his mo emen , I began o ealize, in ag eemen wi h my colleague Camila Lia, ha cul u al media ion has a close ela ionship wi h collabo a i e and pa icipa i e p ocesses in educa ion. As Ranciè e (2009) says when he w i es abou he dis ibu ion o he sensible as he exis ence o a common sha ed and ha , This appo ionmen o pa s and posi ions is based on a dis ibu ion o spaces, imes, and o ms o ac i i y ha de e mines he e y manne in which some hing in common lends i sel o pa icipa ion and in wha way a ious indi iduals ha e a pa in his dis ibu ion. A is o le s a es ha a ci izen is someone who has a pa in he ac o go e ning and being go e ned. Howe e , ano he o m o dis ibu ion p ecedes his ac o pa aking in go e nmen : he dis ibu ion ha de e mines hose who ha e a pa in he communi y o ci izens (Ranciè e, 2004, p.12, i alics in o iginal) 5 . I belie e ha i is in hese collabo a i e p ocesses ha we can exe cise he dis ibu ion o he sensible, expe ience a p oposal o decoloniza ion o he hough , po en ia e a democ a iza ion in he cons uc ion o knowledge, as Pa illa says: “collabo a i e g oups a e hose in which all 5 The ansla o has iden i ied he ci a ion in he English e sion in: Ranciè e, J (2004). The Poli ics o Aes he ics. The Dis ibu ion o he Sensible. London/New Yo k: Con inuum. T ansla ed wi h an in oduc ion by Gab iel Rockhill 44 // Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681· DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 sha e he decisions ha we e made and a e esponsible o he quali y o wha is p oduced oge he ” 6 (apud Damiani, 2008, p. 214). Taking he wo k o o ming media o s o an exhibi ion o o eache s’ o ma ion as lea ning p ocesses, “ he mos signi ican shi s om a adi ional class oom o a collabo a i e lea ning expe ience cen e on he oles aken up by s uden s and eache s. Hie a chical s uc u es and powe ela ions a e modi ied” (To es, 2007, p. 340). And I ha e no iced i is no com o able nei he o he p o esso / eache / u o / aine /media o who has o gi e up his o he ole in he p ocess, no o he s uden s/ eache s/media o s who need o ake he esponsibili y o hei own lea ning/ o ma ion. The p oposal o cul u al media ion in he cons uc i is pe spec i e, as men ioned p e iously, can po en ialize he collabo a i e p ocess so ha i is necessa y o he media o o ac ually gi e up his/he ole as a cen al pa in he p ocess, o he wise his p oposal would be un easible. I is s ill wo h men ioning he idea o pa icipa ion sugges ed in he ex . Nina Simon (2010), discusses he eal meaning o he pa icipa o y museum, saying ha he opinions ha some museums collec om he isi o s o he pa icipa ion o a small g oup o he socie y, o e en he displays ha ca e abou he in e ac ion a en’ enough. E ec i e pa icipa ion would only be possible, she said, when he public can collabo a e wi h he exhibi ion om he ou se so ha he communi y would be hea d and encou aged o pa icipa e in a ious ways. This also in e e es in powe ela ions, in he “dis ibu ion o he sensible” (Ranciè e, 2009), i we hink abou he g ea museums as ins i u ions ha , like schools, ha e eme ged wi h he unc ion o ins uc ing and ep oducing he powe sys ems (Alenca , 2015). In his sense, I will ea he ideas o collabo a ion and pa icipa ion as synonyms, since I e e o he cha ac e is ic o he “dis ibu ion o he sensible” (Ranciè e, 2009) as he c ea i e powe ela ed o cul u al media ion. And i is conside ing how he collabo a i e and pa icipa o y p ocesses e e be a e a e he end o a wo k o a o ma i e p ocess, as he expe ience o sha ing su passes i s own space and ime, ha I p esen wo expe iences in which he idea o he media ion po en ialized collabo a ion and pa icipa ion in he o ma ion p ocesses, poin ing ou some cases in which i e e be a ed and e e be a es in o he ac ions. 32nd Bienal’s case and i s e e be a ion A he beginning o his a icle I commen ed on one o he expe iences in my wo k as he media o s’ supe iso and aine a he 32nd Bienal ha has e e be a ed in my p o essional and pe sonal li e. I do no in end o analyze he wo k de eloped, bu om he inal epo s o he media o s who we e in my eams, I will make conside a ions abou cul u al media ion and i s c ea i e powe in he collabo a i e p ocess no iced du ing he o ma ion cou se o he 6 F ee ansla ion o he o iginal ci a ion: “g upos colabo a i os são aqueles em que odos compa ilham as decisões omadas e são esponsá eis pela qualidade do que é p oduzido em conjun o” (apud Damiani, 2008, p. 214). Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 // 45 DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 · COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681 exhibi ion 7 . My wo k as he media o s’ supe iso and aine con inued h oughou he exhibi ion, bu due o he la ge numbe o isi o s o he 32nd Bienal and he ene ic wo k a ending school g oups, he cha ac e is ics o hese wo con ex s we e di e en , so I will emphasize he o ma ion cou se. I should also be no ed ha we we e a g oup o i e supe iso s who, along wi h he coo dina ion o he educa ional p og am, decided collabo a i ely he pa hs o ou wo k du ing he o ma ion cou se and, a e wa ds, ou wo k du ing he exhibi ion. Some guidelines we e se by he ins i u ion, bu wi hin ce ain aspec s, especially ega ding he schedule o he gues lec u e s, s udies on he a is s and se ing up o he exhibi ion, we had au onomy o ac as aine s. Thus, he p ocesses in he i e di e en eams occu ed in a he e ogeneous way, no only by hei composi ion, bu also by ou di e en expe iences as educa o s’ aine s. In his way, I canno commen on he wo k o my colleagues, jus mine, om my memo ies and, as I’ e said, om he epo s o he membe s o my eam, w i en epo s in he las wo weeks o wo k, in o he wo ds, in he hea o e en s. Tha said, I would like o s a by p esen ing some media o s' pe cep ions on cul u al media ion as a s a egy wi h c ea i e po ency in he o ma ion o media o s, based on some es imonials: The supe ision eam p oposals we e g ea . They con empla ed didac ic momen s wi h he au onomy o he g oup, making i easy o each educa o o b ing media ing p ac ices hey al eady knew o be sha ed, empowe ing all o he pa icipan s wi h hese p ac ices epe oi e - whe he hey we e o welcoming, esea ch o dynamics. Pe sonally, [I belie e] i was a key o me o inc ease my epe oi e o p ac ical ac i i ies and knowledge as media ing ools. The discussions we e always wi hin he issues add essed and wi h g ea space o deba ing and lis ening on he pa o he supe iso . Also always posi ioning he sel o allow access and equali y o speech in he g oup (Edua do Palhano). Du ing he s udy pe iod, I ound i in e es ing he p oposal o each day one di e en educa o s a ing he ac i i ies wi h poe y, g oup dance, a popula saying, a ex , some hing ha would in oduce a discussion abou media ion o e en abou eelings ha ho e ed o e he educa ional body. [...] These ac i i ies in luenced my isi s posi i ely (Ka ina Cos a). The es imonies o Edua do and Ka ina e e o my s a egy in he o ma ion o media o s ha conside s he exchange o expe iences, subjec i i ies, especially lis ening. I we conside wha was said ea lie abou he idea o media ion wi h which I sha e, lis ening is pe haps he mos impo an ac ion wi hin p ocesses in which media ion is he educa ional s a egy. I can ake up Ranciè e (2011) wi h emancipa o y educa ion, o e en To es (2007) when he alks abou he changes in powe ela ions and ela e o he au onomy and he ho izon ali y p oposed by me as desc ibed by Edua do and Ka ina. 7 I is wo h men ioning ha he o ma ion cou se o media o s o he 32nd Bienal las ed 4 mon hs and was conside ed pa o he wo k, wi h he same emune a ion o he wo k pe o med wi h he exhibi ion open o he public. My eam was composed o 18 media o s, bu some o hem mo ed o o he eams a he beginning o he exhibi ion, due o he di e en schedules and he wo k shi s acco ding o he a endance o he isi ing school g oups. 46 // Alenca , V. Communia s. 5. 2021: 38-53 COMMUNIARS · 5 · 2021. ISSN 2603-6681· DOI: h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.12795/Communia s.2021.i05.03 I is also impo an o conside in hei es imonies how much he o ma i e p ocess o each one e e be a ed o u u e ac ions, in my opinion, due o hei c ea i e po ency. ... we li ed a poe ic sha ing, in which we could unde s and and welcome ou di e en ways o hinking, eeling and doing hings, app ecia ing he quali ies ha each membe b ough o he g oup. He sensi i i y and lis ening we e keys o help us c ea e bonds be ween us, he media o s. [...] Vale ia b ough us some o he p oposals, and many o he signi ican ac i i ies we did as a g oup sp ou ed om hem, bu I hink he mos impo an hing o he quali y o ou p ocess a his momen , in he con ex o many demands I ha e ou lined, was Vale ia's gene osi y o ease he demands ha came om ou side, o lis en o ou needs, expec a ions and anxie ies, p ecisely, gi ing us space o c ea e he hy hm o he g oup along wi h he (Lucas I aca ambi). Lucas's unde s anding o sha ing is e y special, he idea o “dis ibu ing he sensible” is so dea o me as Ranciè e’s “emancipa o y educa ion” and bo h ha e been some o my guiding p inciples a my media ion wo k. Also, i is impo an o highligh he c ea i e pe cep ion o he wo k, when he uses he wo d “sp ou ed”. I would also like o d aw a en ion o he pe cep ion o collabo a i e and pa icipa o y wo k, ha a e acili a ed by media ion. As Nina Simon (2010) ells us abou how pa icipa ion wo ks: The e a e wo coun e -in ui i e design p inciples a he hea o success ul pa icipa o y p ojec s. Fi s , pa icipan s h i e on cons ain s, no open-ended oppo uni ies o sel - exp ession. And second, o collabo a e con iden ly wi h s ange s, pa icipan s need o engage h ough pe sonal, no social, en y poin s. These design p inciples a e bo h based on he concep o sca olding (p. 22). Tha is, unde s anding he pa icipa ion h i es on cons ain s is coun e in ui i e as Simon says, o i may seem ha pa icipa ion, collabo a ion, mus be ee. They a e, bu wi hin a p ojec o c ea ion we ha e goals and objec i es, a collec i e p ojec mus ha e collec i e goals and objec i es, which isn’ easy, bu can be buil oge he , as Lucas says in his es imony o e en Danielle: We’ e buil a e y beau i ul and impo an exchange ield ha las ed un il he end o he o ma ion cou se. Vale ia le us he will o expose aspec s ha we wan ed o imp o e and o p esen o he g oup ou esea ches and po en iali ies. [...] we’ e cons uc ed many maps [concep ual and a ec i e], we alked a lo and had space o p opose, oo, o build oge he . Vale ia didn’ speak o us, she spoke wi h us (Danielle Sleiman). S ill, aking up Nina Simon (2010), he second p inciple o pa icipa ion is he “going social” when she p oposes ha i is necessa y o hink abou exhibi ions whe e people a e mean o mee people, beyond he s a egies o he media o , in o he wo ds, o p opose ha he indi idual alone makes he “me- o-we” mo emen . Simon e e s o exhibi ion spaces, bu I can make an analogy o he p ocess o he media o s’ o ma ion, whe e my s a egy was o in e e e as li le as possible in he discussions, p o oking momen s o au onomy and dissen . Bu o some media o s such s a egy wasn’ so clea : “I seems agg a a ing o me ha a p epa a o y cou se o media o s (al hough I p e e educa o s as designa ion) has so li le space o discuss educa ion and educa ional p ac ices” (Lua a Ca alho). The e a e wo e y impo an poin s in Lua a's conside a ions. One o hem, as I said ea lie , he idea o unde s anding he media o 's wo k, which was clea o me, a gene al consensus, I Alenca , V. 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