In January 2019 I facilitated a project with ten students from the School of Fine Arts at BUAP University in Puebla, Mexico, with assistance from Arquetopia Foundation’s International Art Educators Residency program.

The aim of the project, titled Caminando con la Naturaleza (Walking with Nature), was to introduce students to a method of nature connection, defined as a sense of belonging to the world. The format was project-based, meaning students would integrate their learning in works of art. Specifically, guided by a set of simple poetic instructions, students would undertake a sound-mapping process, and produce works of art in their preferred media. Two lectures punctuated the four-week project, providing students with an in-depth discussion of the intelligence underlying the method.

It culminated in an Exhibition of the students’ work, which featured sound installation, poetry, performance, augmented reality, print and photography. A testament to the project’s focus on encouraging students to express themselves in their own words.

For me personally, Caminando con la Naturaleza was an opportunity to refine a method of instruction I’ve been developing for a number of years; a pedagogical approach, therapeutic tool, and artistic process.

I’m currently editing a short video to showcase the project, but for now here are some photos.