Loading

Imagination for Liberation

By on

Imagination for Liberation

PUBPOL 89S / DANCE 89S / ETHICS 89S (ALP, EI) F 1:25PM - 3:55PM

How does change happen?

The short answer is that we have to imagine it before we can do it. 

This course introduces students to multiple forms of social change work, methods for radically imagining new future realities, and ways to lead action-oriented lives. Students will learn both (1) artistic and embodied strategies for imagining new futures and (2) the technical mechanisms for making change within legal and legislative systems. 

This seminar is co-developed and led by Michael Kliën and Brooks Emanuel. 

Brooks Emanuel came to Duke after holding legal and policy roles in the Georgia Democratic Party (where he worked for Stacey Abrams), Equal Justice Initiative, and Planned Parenthood. Prior to going to law school, he worked for a time as a professional dancer in a modern dance company in New York City. His work now focuses on using movement techniques to help social justice practitioners in many fields develop the creative vision and energy to sustain change-making work. 

Michael Kliën is a leading voice in contemporary choreography whose work has been exhibited worldwide. His artistic practice encompasses interdisciplinary thinking, critical writing, curatorial and pedagogical projects, and centrally, social choreographic works imbued with political and ecological thought. His Laboratory for Social Choreography at Duke is an experimental space dedicated to using aesthetics and movement to build the creative capacities necessary to address intractable challenges like climate change and political polarization.

Christian Ferney is Associate Director for Education at the Institute.

All posts by