Exhibition of Empathetic Pedagogies
The Empathetic Pedagogies project and exhibition shares knowledge gathered through a series of creative encounters between second-year architecture students and Hijinx Odyssey members.
Organised by Dr Dimitra Ntzani, Dr Amalia Banteli and Dr Edmund Green from the Welsh School of Architecture, the exhibit shares accessible stage designs ahead of the Humbug! Inclusive Theatrical Production, the outputs of which are now on display in the Bute Building foyer until 31 January 2024.
This unique project reflected accessibility principles and practical considerations, encouraging students to have productive, collaborative workshops with Hijinx Odyssey members for the creation of accessible stage designs.
Through these workshops, the students explore how performing learning strategies in design education can achieve an empathetic understanding of performers with physical and/ or learning disabilities and ultimately create inclusive mindsets.
Hijinx Odyssey is an inclusive community theatre group for adults with and without learning disabilities who share a passion for performance. It is part of the wider Hijinx Theatre organisation, a professional producing company working to pioneer, produce and promote opportunities for actors with learning disabilities and/or autism.
Dr Amalia Banteli shared that: “The Humbug! Inclusive Theatre Production took place ahead of the festive season 2023 at Wales Millennium Centre’s Weston Theatre. The Empathetic Pedagogies project outputs also included a pre-exhibition of the production designs, which was open to the visiting public prior and during the Humbug! performance run at Wales Millennium Centre in November 2023.”
“It was very exciting to see the students interact with the actors and witness how these interactions evolved into empathetic bonds that expanded the students’ perceptions on inclusivity and how these bonds become the instigators of the development of inclusive mindsets.”
Performed by a cast of disabled and non-disabled actors, which also feature the Welsh School of Architecture’s Dr Amalia Banteli, HUMBUG! was a fun and reflective sequel to Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol.
Empathetic Pedagogies echoes the School’s mission to foster curious, creative, critical, and ethical learners who can recognise and confront challenges with wide-ranging, flexible skills and knowledge.
The Welsh School of Architecture sustains a strong sense of inclusive community that thrives on its diversity, reaching out beyond academia to engage with our localities and the wider world.
The project is funded and made possible by Cardiff University’s Learning and Teaching Academy Education Innovation Fund.