Amanda Alexander

Advocacy and Networking Board of InSEA: Amplifying Voices: Shaping InSEA Membership for Greater Impact (Panel)

Amanda Alexander – Miami University of Ohio, USA

Chair: Susan Coles – Vice-President of InSEA, UK

Amanda Alexander – Miami University of Ohio, USA

Patsey Bodkin – School of Education, NCAD, Dublin, Ireland

Timothy Dacanay – De la Salle College of Saint Benilde, School of Arts, Culture and Performance, Manila, Philippines

Rolf Laven – University College of Teacher Education, Vienna, Austria

Angela Reid – AME World Councillor InSEA / Kingdom Schools, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract:

This panel invites InSEA members to actively participate in a dynamic discussion about their aspirations, needs, and expectations from their membership. Organised by the Advocacy and Networking group, the session provides a unique opportunity for members to voice their ideas and experiences directly with those who advocate for their interests. InSEA is committed to fostering a global network that supports art educators, practitioners, and researchers; this panel seeks to strengthen that commitment by listening closely to what members want and need to thrive in their professional and creative endeavors. During this interactive session, members will be encouraged to share their views on essential aspects of their InSEA experience, from professional development opportunities and advocacy priorities to networking support and resource availability. We’ll also explore potential initiatives the panel could pursue to address these needs, bridging communication between members and organisational leadership to promote a responsive, impactful community. Attendees will leave knowing that their voices have been heard and valued. The insights gathered from this session will help shape future offerings, reinforcing InSEA’s dedication to a vibrant, inclusive membership experience that aligns with members’ evolving professional contexts and ambitions. This panel is an invitation to contribute to the ongoing development of InSEA. Join us as we work together to build a more supportive, responsive, and globally connected organisation for all who value the transformative power of art education.

Dialogue on Our Journeys to Embody the Spirit and Practice of Decolonization – 3 in 1 (Panel)

Chair: Rebecca Bourgault – Boston University, College of Fine Arts, USA

Panelists:

Amanda Alexander – Miami University of Ohio, USA

Manisha Sharma – University of North Texas, Denton, USA

Abstract:

This paper proposal includes Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of a 3-session proposal. If selected, our proposal requires the three paper presentations to be grouped together in the congress schedule, offered as Parts 1-3. We plan for the three presentations to be conversationally interwoven and organically extended to the audience within the time limit (three papers at 15-20 minutes each) provided for the section. In Part 1: Sharing our journeys, we will present our collaboration, which explores how, as three artists, educators, and scholars, we have experienced writing about, theorizing, reading, and practicing ways to contribute to decolonizing the art education discipline and disrupt the colonial dominance that continues to be dependent on legacies of inequity to operate. Broaching the topic from our different cultural, racial, and class contexts and acknowledging the shifting grounds and discursive changes taking place in our research and discipline, the presentation will take the form of three brief contemplative and conversational papers that account for our evolving individual perspectives on the topic and aim at sharing the trials and tribulations that such research and investigation bring forth. We share these stories from the lens of artists and community educators who have worked in various spaces, regionally, in the US, and internationally. In Part 2 of the dialogue: Inviting co-travellers, we will expand our reflections and experiences presented in Part 1 by extending it to the audience and engage them in a broader conversation by identifying questions from our texts that meet at the crossroads of our inquiry. Through this dialogue, we aim to evoke narratives of audience journeys toward embodying the spirit and practice of decolonization. In Part 3: Considering destinations of this paper, we will invite our audience to engage in brainstorming and mapping potential applications of this understanding in their various venues of practice (K-12 and higher ed classrooms, community, and museum venues) in contexts of curriculum and pedagogy.