Radical Urban Classrooms: Civic Pedagogies and Spaces of Learning on the Margins of Institutions

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between “civic pedagogy” and institutions, through three case studies: the Live Works Castlegate Co-Production at the University of Sheffield; a Collective Design Pedagogy at Muktangan School, India; and the School for Civic Action at the Tate Exchange. The projects aim to build citizens’ agency with transformative urban potential by engaging civic pedagogy using different scales, perspectives, and resources: as engagement with schools, higher education institutions, and art practices. Using Pelin Tan's definition of urgent pedagogies as a framework, this paper investigates the alternative alliances, trans-territorial solidarities, and transversal methodologies of each project, comparing and contrasting methods and techniques. We discuss the potential for a shared decentralisation of learning associated with institutions, by engaging with the urban environment and communities, and propose a series of codependent practices for the initiation and sustenance of civic pedagogy for geographers interested in urban learning and education.