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Reanimating Contested Spaces (ReSpace): Designing Participatory Civic Education for and with Young People in Kosovo and Rwanda

Reanimating Contested Spaces (ReSpace): Designing Participatory Civic Education for and with Young People in Kosovo and Rwanda was a Phase 2 Large Grant project.

ReSpace investigated how concepts of space, through arts-based participatory methods, can engage the ‘post-memory’ generation (Hirsch, 2008) in Rwanda and Kosovo to reimagine specific sites of memory. The project intended to impact upon educational content and methods in these countries by introducing creative methods to explore concrete spaces in young people’s social surroundings. These spaces bear witness to often-silenced, everyday histories of, for example, civic resistance and societal cohesion, before or after war and violence. The project combined innovative technologies with causal, factual (evidential, not selective) and affective approaches to history in contrast to essentializing stories of war horrors and victimisation. The methods, focus and spaces explored thereby serve as interactive and exploratory civic educational means for youth to identify: (1) the contextual reasons for societal disintegration and violence; and (2) the civic potentials of counteracting these processes.  

Through a collaboration with architects, designers and artists as organised or non-formalised members of the CSO sector from across these countries, ReSpace will introduce a series of workshops that employ creative experimentation with digital animation and VR technologies. These provide innovative and critical, yet safe, explorations of selected spaces, as an alternative means of engaging and co-creating multiple historical knowledge. Amongst other things, the project asks how can art and design methods, encourage young people to explore the cultural heritage of space (affective, enspaced histories) as well as re-‘invent’ these spaces, in differently situated post-conflict and educational contexts? And how can it reflexively develop methods that see a move from hierarchical didactic spaces that operate to maintain the status quo, to spaces of participation?  

Over the course of a year, the project critically engaged youth from organisations in Rwanda, Kosovo, through a series of workshops, to research and reimagine selected historical sites (e.g. urban cultural locations). By the end of the project, the youth had gained deep contextual knowledge and designed their own VR experience, and it is envisaged that a pedagogical method would emerge from this process. Additionally, the project will commission contemporary artists to create interactive work engaged with space, allowing all involved to simultaneously interrogate the notions of ‘invited’ and ‘invented’ (Miftab, 2004) spaces by civil society in the past and present. 

Visit the project website for more information on the project and to meet the project team. You'll find incredible resources on artistic methods, how to videos on sketching and stop-motion, toolkits, and fact-files about different sites in Kosovo and Rwanda.

Check out the ReSpace Instagram and YouTube accounts for more visual content:

@respace_cts
@respacerwanda
@respace_kosova

Watch the recording from the ReSpace Symposium, a Changing the Story: Inside Out and Outside In Festival event (June 2021):

 

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Resource Archive

Search or browse the resource archive for films, reports, toolkits and other resources produced by the Changing the Story and its commissioned projects. Items relating to Kosovo and Rwanda are listed below:

TitleSummaryAuthorCategoriesTagsdoc_categories_hfilterdoc_tags_hfilter
Field research in the time of COVID-19: how creativity saved the dayBlog (2021/03/26) Field research in the time of COVID-19: how creativity saved the dayMary Drosopulos, , , , , bosnia-and-herzegovina kosovo phase2 locationblog language-english subject-reflections youth
Making each other human: The Mobile Arts for Peace ProjectBlog (2018/04/05) Making each other human: The Mobile Arts for Peace ProjectProf Ananda Breed, , phase1 rwanda locationblog language-english
Inside-out and outside-in on dealing with the past in KosovoInside-out and outside-in on dealing with the past in Kosovo by Nita Luci and Linda Guisa is a chapter in the edited book Unravelling Liberal Interventionism Local Critiques of Statebuilding …Gëzim Visoka, Vjosa Musliu, , , kosovo locationarticle language-english sdg-16-institutions subject-policy
Umucuranzi documentary, Ntwali PacificSkill Exchange workshops to develop skills that would be useful to young change-makers, March - April 2022Ntwali Pacific, , , event rwanda changemakers locationfilm language-english
Fragments on Heroes, Artists and Interventions: Challenging Gender Ideology and Provoking Active Citizenship through the Arts in KosovoThis is an Accepted Manuscript version of chapter 6 of the book 'Participatory Arts in International Development' published by Routledge/CRC Press on 29 August 2019. The final version of each …Dr Linda Gusia, Dr Lura Pollozhani, Dr Nita Luci, Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, , kosovo locationarticle language-english gender
Learn more about Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP)Blog (2019/04/17) Learn more about Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP)Kurtis Dennison, , phase1 rwanda locationblog language-english
Leonard (Youth Research Board)Hear from Leonard about his group's research project as part of his role on Changing the Story Youth Research Board., , , rwanda changemakers youth-research-board locationfilm language-english
Making connections: reflections on the use of proverbs in research and practiceBlog (2020/03/19) Making connections: reflections on the use of proverbs in research and practice, , , phase2 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-reflections
Longing for lost normalcyLonging for Lost Normalcy: Social Memory, Transitional Justice, and the ‘House Museum’ to Missing Persons in Kosovo by Schwandner-Sievers, S. and Klinkner, M. In spring 1999, amidst a wider ethnic …Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, M. Klinkner, , , kosovo locationarticle language-english sdg-11-sustainable-cities sdg-16-institutions
Meet Eric!Eric is from Kigali in Rwanda. Find out from Eric what three words he would use to describe his experience as part of the Changing the Story Youth Research Board …Eric Ngabonziza, , , rwanda youth-research-board locationfilm language-english subject-reflections
Kicking off Changing the Story in KosovoPre-proofed versions of book chapters for published book. Links to 13 pdf chaptersDr Lura Pollozhani, , kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english
ReSpace Symposium (June 2021)ReSpace investigates how concepts of space, through arts-based participatory methods, can engage the ‘post-memory’ generation (Hirsch, 2008) in Rwanda and Kosovo to reimagine specific sites of memory. Chaired by ReSpace …Dr Paula Callus, , , , , , , , event kosovo phase2 rwanda locationfilm language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education subject-participatory-arts
Connective Memories - Case studyConnective Memories is a participatory arts research project on the topic of Isangizanyankuru (meaning shared stories and memories in Kinyarwanda), codesigned, co-delivered and evaluated by 10 young people and 6 …, , , , , , phase2 rwanda locationlanguage-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-3-health-and-well-being sdg-4-education subject-participatory-arts
Case Study: Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'. A critical review of Changing the Story Projects in Eastern Africa. This report shares on how formal and informal citizenship and peace …Chaste Uwihoreye, Dr John Mwangi Githigaro, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, , , , , kenya rwanda locationreport language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP): Shaping the Rwandan National CurriculumBlog (2019/03/28) Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP): Shaping the Rwandan National CurriculumProf Ananda Breed, , , phase1 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-reflections
New Project: Developing Youth Leadership for More Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Post-Conflict Countriesblog (2019/10/29) New Project: Developing Youth Leadership for More Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Post-Conflict CountriesLauren Wray, , , , , , kenya namibia phase1 rwanda south-africa locationblog language-english youth
ACT arts critical thinking active citizenship in KosovoBlog (2018/05/18) ACT arts critical thinking active citizenship in KosovoDr Nita Luci, , kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english
PUBLICATION LAUNCH! Changing the Story: Our Third YearBlog (2021/05/21) PUBLICATION LAUNCH! Changing the Story: Our Third YearAisha Kayani, , , , , , , , , , cambodia colombia india kosovo phase2 south-africa changemakers locationblog language-english subject-covid19 subject-participatory-arts youth
Moncrieffe and Mwangi 2022Article shares international research project led by UK and East African stakeholders. This was framed as a consolidation of learning in our analysis and evaluation of findings from four Arts …, , , , , , kenya rwanda locationarticle language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education subject-policy
Through Art, theatre and Dialogue, young people are able to express their thoughts to the countryUzabintwari project at Rwamagana Youth center "YEGO CENTER" We are using Art, theatre and Dialogue, for bring back heroism! let the elders guide the young so the raise wisely! and …Eric Ngabonziza, Leonard, , rwanda youth-research-board locationfilm language-kinyarwanda
Understanding Places from a DistanceBlog (2021/04/27) Understanding Places from a DistanceDr Paula Callus, , , , kosovo phase2 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-reflections
BOOM concerts in 1980s KosovoBlog (2019/04/29) BOOM concerts in 1980s KosovoRina Krasniqi (Lirindja), , kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english
'Extended Mobile Arts for Peace'Mobile Arts for Peace Rwanda Documentary, directed by Deus Kwizera. Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP) is a practice-as-research project using arts-based methods to increase child and youth participation in decision-making …Deus Kwizera, , , , , , , event rwanda locationfilm language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-3-health-and-well-being sdg-4-education subject-participatory-arts
Mobile Arts for Peace Project UpdateBlog (2019/07/07) Mobile Arts for Peace Project UpdateKurtis Dennison, , , phase1 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-reflections
Boom Zine AnimationACT – Arts, critical thinking & active citizenship (Kosovo): Watch the final cut of the animation created by the Boom Zine 'proof of concept' project which looks at the development …, , , kosovo phase1 locationfilm sdg-16-institutions sdg-4-education
Building TrustChanging the Story has produced a series of short videos which address the various aspects of safeguarding in international development research. The aim of the series is to provide you …Diona Ahmetaj, Dorentina Podrimqaku, Genta Limani, , kosovo safeguarding locationfilm language-english
Mobile Arts for Peace – RwandaBlog (2018/03/12) Mobile Arts for Peace – RwandaHope Azeda, Kurtis Dennison, Prof Ananda Breed, rwanda locationblog language-english
The amazing women of LjubljanaBlog (2020/06/19) The amazing women of Ljubljana, , , kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english subject-reflections
Epistemic justice and everyday nationalismEpistemic justice and everyday nationalism: An auto‐ethnography of transnational student encounters in a post‐war memory and reconciliation project in Kosovo is a journal article by Nita Luci and Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers. …Dr Nita Luci, Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, , kosovo locationarticle language-english sdg-16-institutions
Fragments on Heroes, Artists and Interventions (2020)Fragments on Heroes, Artists and Interventions: Challenging Gender Ideology and Provoking Active Citizenship through the Arts in Kosovo is a chapter in the edited book Cooke, P. and Soria-Dolan, I., …Dr Linda Gusia, Dr Lura Pollozhani, Dr Nita Luci, Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, , , , , , , kosovo locationarticle language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-5-gender gender subject-participatory-arts
Phase One Critical Review: Arts, Critical Thinking and Active CitizenshipWritten by Lura Pollozhani and Hajrulla Çeku, this critical review of the Phase One Kosovo project ACT: Arts, Critical Thinking and Active Citizenship will explore the overarching research questions: how …Dr Lura Pollozhani, Hajrulla Çeku, , , , , , , kosovo phase1 locationreport language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-4-education sdg-5-gender subject-reflections youth
What about the survivors? The importance of a victim-centred approach to transitional justice in the Western Balkans — reflections on a conferenceBlog (2021/01/20) What about the survivors? The importance of a victim-centred approach to transitional justice in the Western Balkans — reflections on a conference, , , , event kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english subject-reflections
Case Study: Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'. A critical review of Changing the Story Projects in Eastern Africa. This report shares on how formal and informal citizenship and peace …Chaste Uwihoreye, Dr John Mwangi Githigaro, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, , , , , kenya rwanda locationreport language-kiswahil sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
SEE Education Making the Museum of EducationThis panel event, part of the Changing the Story: Inside Out and Outside In Festival (Kosovo), brought together the people who contributed to making the school house system during the …, , , , , event kosovo locationfilm language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
Arts-based Methods and Digital Technology for Peacebuilding during the time of COVID-19Blog (2020/09/03) Arts-based Methods and Digital Technology for Peacebuilding during the time of COVID-19Prof Ananda Breed, , , , , phase1 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-covid19 subject-participatory-arts subject-reflections
Munzira Yunjye: In My WayZine representing outcomes of workshops funded by Changing the Story Mobility Fund, 26th-28th July 2022. The venue for the workshops was the YEGO center at Rwamagana.Eric Ngabonziza, Leonard, , , event mobility-fund rwanda locationformat-zine subject-participatory-arts
Phase One Critical Review: Mobile Arts for Peace (Rwanda)As part of Changing the Story's Phase One Activities is Rwanda this critical review and project reflection maps out the work of the project taking place in both public and …Dr Sylvestre Nzahabwanayo, , , , , , , , , phase1 rwanda locationreport language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-3-health-and-well-being sdg-4-education subject-participatory-arts subject-reflections youth
Toolkits and Resources from KosovoBlog (2018/03/01) Toolkits and Resources from KosovoDr Nita Luci, , kosovo phase1 locationblog language-english
Introducing Safeguarding to ChildrenChanging the Story has produced a series of short videos which address the various aspects of safeguarding in international development research. The aim of the series is to provide you …, , , , kosovo safeguarding locationfilm language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-4-education
Changing the Story Festival InSide Out and OutSide In ProgrammeFestival programme for a hybrid event that took place 14-18 June 2021 in person in Kosovo and online. It featured the launch of the artwork installation “The Square of Untruth”, …, , , , , event kosovo locationlanguage-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education sdg-5-gender
Playwriting for Peace: Actualizing Perpetual Peace in Post-Conflict Pristina, KosovoBlog (2019/08/05) Playwriting for Peace: Actualizing Perpetual Peace in Post-Conflict Pristina, KosovoEmily Russell, Matt Harmon, , , kosovo changemakers locationblog language-english subject-reflections
Meet LeonardMeet Leonard, a Changing the Story Youth Research Board member from Rwanda., , , rwanda changemakers youth-research-board locationfilm language-english
Critical review of Changing the Story Projects in Eastern Africa ProjectWatch the critical review of Changing the Story Projects in Eastern Africa Project led by Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, (Principal Investigator) University of Brighton, UK. With partners Dr John Mwangi St. …Chaste Uwihoreye, Dr John Mwangi Githigaro, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, , , , kenya phase2 rwanda locationfilm language-english subject-reflections
ReSpace introduce 'The Hertica Home''The Hertica Home' is a short 3D interactive documentary that uses testimony to explore connections between space and memory by focusing upon the the Sami Frasheri gymnasium faculty in the …Dr Paula Callus, , , , , event kosovo locationfilm language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
Changing the Story Consolidating Learning CoLearnSEEFind out more about the Changing the Story Consolidating Learning project CoLearnSEE. Highlights projects across South Eastern Europe, , , , , , , , bosnia-and-herzegovina kosovo phase2 rwanda locationfilm sdg-10-inequalities sdg-4-education sdg-5-gender sdg-8-work subject-participatory-arts
Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP): Youth and Participatory Arts in RwandaThis is an Accepted Manuscript version of chapter 7 of the book 'Participatory Arts in International Development' published by Routledge/CRC Press on 29 August 2019. The final version of each …Prof Ananda Breed, , rwanda locationarticle language-english subject-participatory-arts
Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation Virtual Reality SpaceCollaboratively designed arts-based Virtual Reality space with a focus on sharing best practices on Peace Education via CTS research in East Africa. Created by Follow on Fund Project, Consolidation, Learning …, , , , kenya rwanda locationlanguage-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
‘No-One Can Tell a Story Better than the One Who Lived It’Academic article. Understandings of childhood and trauma are based on bio-psychological frameworks emanating from the Global North, often at odds with the historical, political, economic, social and cultural contexts in …Chaste Uwihoreye, Dr Eric Ndushabandi, Dr Kirrily Pells, Dr Matthew Elliot, Dr Sylvestre Nzahabwanayo, Prof Ananda Breed, , , , , , rwanda locationarticle language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-3-health-and-well-being sdg-4-education subject-participatory-arts
Case Study: Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'Consolidation, Learning and Evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda'. A critical review of Changing the Story Projects in Eastern Africa. This report shares on how formal and informal citizenship and peace …Chaste Uwihoreye, Dr John Mwangi Githigaro, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, , , , , kenya rwanda locationreport language-kinyarwanda sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
Meet EricMeet Eric Ngabonziza, a Changing the Story Youth Research Board member from Rwanda.Eric Ngabonziza, rwanda youth-research-board locationfilm
Local and international determinants of Kosovo’s statehood - Volume IIEdited by Ioannis Armakolas, Agon Demjaha, Arolda Elbasani and Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, the volume is the follow up of the successful earlier collection focusing on some of the most pressing and …Agon Demjaha, Arolda Elbasani, Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, Ioannis Armakolas, kosovo locationarticle language-english
Remembering the Srebrenica Genocide on Holocaust Memorial DayBlog (2020/02/09) Remembering the Srebrenica Genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day, , , , , kosovo phase1 phase2 rwanda locationblog language-english subject-reflections
What are the benefits of integrating young people in peacebuilding processes in communities and schools?Blog (2019/11/15) What are the benefits of integrating young people in peacebuilding processes in communities and schools?, , , , , phase1 rwanda changemakers locationblog language-english subject-reflections youth
The Making of School Houses in the 90s and the School House MuseumBlog (2021/04/27) The Making of School Houses in the 90s and the School House Museum, , , , kosovo phase2 locationblog language-english subject-reflections youth
The planet of no memoryThis fanzine is created by the Youth Research Board's Preserving Memory Group composed by: David, Antonia, Trina and Leonard. It comes as a product of art research on projects supported …Antonia Bello, David Espitia, Leonard Nyiringabo, Trina Hoti, , , , colombia kosovo rwanda youth-research-board locationformat-zine language-english
Inclusion: DisabilityChanging the Story has produced a series of short videos which address the various aspects of safeguarding in international development research. The aim of the series is to provide you …, , , , , , , nepal rwanda safeguarding locationfilm language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education subject-disability
SEE Education Making the Museum of EducationThis panel event, part of the Changing the Story: Inside Out and Outside In Festival (Kosovo), brought together the people who contributed to making the school house system during the …, , , , , event kosovo locationfilm language-english sdg-16-institutions sdg-17-partnerships sdg-4-education
ACT – Arts, critical thinking & active citizenship (Kosovo)The ACT project combines research and applied components, producing alternative practices to be proposed to formal and informal educational institutions, as well as academic research and publishing in Kosovo. The …Dr Nita Luci, Dr Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers, , , kosovo phase1 locationfilm subject-participatory-arts subject-reflections
MAP: Curriculum for music, dance and drama in RwandaMobile Arts for Peace (MAP): Curriculum for music, dance and drama in Rwanda by A Breed, K Dennison, S Nzahabwanayo, K Pells - The Applied Theatre Reader, 2020. This chapter …Dr Kirrily Pells, Dr Sylvestre Nzahabwanayo, Kurtis Dennison, Prof Ananda Breed, , , , , , phase1 rwanda locationarticle language-english sdg-10-inequalities sdg-16-institutions sdg-3-health-and-well-being sdg-4-education