Deep Ecology
Exploring how environments cater to both humans and the more-than-human, through a two-hour experiential session, outside of the classroom. Students will explore wider and deeper ecological aspects of an urban location through orientation and context setting. With the aim to develop a consciousness of environmental history, infrastructure and habitats.
Image: © Chiara Bellamoli
Key information
- Participants: up to 12 students, from MA Fashion Futures at London College of Fashion, UAL.
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Location: it can take place outside at a location near by the university, it has been hosted at Finsbury Park, Woodberry Wetlands, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and outside LCF East Bank.
Designed to orient and ground new students in the ecology of their place of study, many of whom are new to London and the United Kingdom. The two-hour session introduces students to the local area and suggests some thematic contexts for further consideration. The sessions take the form of a walk outside, stopping at a series of ‘waystations’ to contemplate different ideas and things that can be seen. From using cardinal points to discover where they are, to sensory attunement and the geology of what lies beneath the area.
It is a session that could take place in any season and use seasonality to look at the specific phenology of different more-than-human living things, in relation to human concerns. The outline here is very short and could be adapted with more time by adding practical activities at each of the way stations. The session was devised and led by Katherine Pogson annually in both 2022 and 2023. The plans include multiple questions, reflections and activities within the two-hours.
How you can take Deep Ecology into your own work:
The outline of content prompts for this activity is available online for adaptations of the activity to be replicated, both from 2022 when it was held between Finsbury Park and Woodberry Wetlands and 2023 when it was held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, outside the LCF East Bank building.
Image: © Chiara Bellamoli
Contact
Katherine Pogson, Associate Lecturer, London College of Fashion, UAL – k.pogson@fashion.arts.ac.uk.