Abstract

We, Tilo Amhoff (European), Vanessa Nkumbula (African), and Vivian Wall (Caribbean) would like to introduce you to the ’Independent Thought’ reading group at the School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) at the University of Brighton. ‘Independent Thought’ was a student and staff forum for open debate on questions of race and decolonisation, concepts we critically investigated.1 This paper is a compilation of the findings of the reading group, written predominantly in three voices, but inclusive of the many diverse voices of the reading group itself. The first voice speaks on the African experience of decolonisation. It provides the paper with an internal perspective of the matter, rather than the external investigations of onlookers. The second voice speaks on methods of adopting antiracist pedagogies. It explores how academic institutions and staff can approach the process whilst outlining the realities that they will face. The third voice speaks on achieving a decolonised curriculum. It navigates how the attitudes, experiences, and identities of the student body can be acknowledged and how the students take a very active role in curriculum design. The three voices stand united in the belief that a more fruitful architectural education can be achieved upon transcending the colonial legacies and inequalities perpetuated across the discipline.

How to Cite:

Amhoff, T. & Nkumbula, V. & Wall, V., (2022) “‘Independent Thought’: Withdrawal Towards our Self-Rule and Freedom”, field: 8(1), 237–246.