Embracing collaborations between festivals and higher education: A case study of the ‘Decolonising film festivals and curating African cinemas’ networking event at King’s College London

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the social responsibility of Higher Education, encouraging knowledge exchange initiatives and impact. This often involves the collaboration with the industry, embracing a curatorial turn in the pedagogic approach. This self-reflexive case study shares the learning, challenges, and opportunities offered by the organisation of a networking event named ‘Decolonising Film Festivals and Curating African Cinemas.’ In so doing, it seeks to offer insights into one such forms of collaboration between Higher Education and the Industry. Through an analysis of the feedback by participants and the discussions at a round-table on decolonising, it highlights the horizontalism and distended environment of the experience, fostering a safe and fruitful discussion that engages in a call to action towards to sought change. In public facing events hosted at the university, the classroom becomes a brainstorming exercise in collaboration. The curatorial turn adopted through collaboration bridges theory and practice. Itlurifies voices in the learning and teaching experience, and collaboratively rehearses potential creative solutions to real life scenarios. It promotes social justice, engaging all participants in the process.