Ujima Wednesdays | World Building as Fugitive Practice with Aisha Shillingford

Liberation Study Hall: 

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Schools of 1964, the Boston Ujima Project proudly presents "Liberation Study Hall," a year-long exploration of historical figures, schools of thought, experiments and sites that have contributed to shaping our contemporary movements and global landscape.

Event Description:

“Fugitivity… is a desire for and a spirit of escape and transgression of the proper and the proposed. It’s a desire for the outside, for a playing or being outside, an outlaw edge proper to the now always already improper voice or instrument.”–Fred Moten

In current discussions, there's a growing focus on fugitivity and marronage: the ways we act from the margins to liberate ourselves. This work reclaims agency for Black communities beyond oppressive nation-states. While often seen in the context of past racial violence, fugitive practices persist today in education, cooperatives, migration, and abolition. In this month's workshops, we'll delve into fugitivity's link to Blackness, liberation, and economic justice. From independent placemaking to political movements, we'll explore recent history and current practices. Our focus is on transformation and possibility, viewing fugitivity as a tool for creating new worlds.

In this workshop, Intelligent Mischief will delve into their social practice as a creative studio that explores themes of fugitivity, opacity, and marronage. Aisha Shillingford–artistic director at Intelligent Mischief–will introduce world-building as a literary tool in speculative fiction, and we will learn how they apply this practice to social art-making and experience design work. Intelligent Mischief also supports community-based organizations; we’ll get a peek under the hood as to how they design cultural strategies and interventions informed by creative world-building and future design.

Facilitator Bios:

Aisha Shillingford (she/her), is an anti-disciplinary artist, world builder, and experience designer originally from Trinidad & Tobago. She is the Artistic Director of Intelligent Mischief, a creative studio using art, storytelling and immersive experiences to unleash the power of Black radical imagination to shape the future. Her mixed media collages, text-based work, street art, murals, installation and experiential design work reflect Black utopias, abolition, Black radical imagination, solidarity economics, climate futures, marronage and dreamspace. She draws on recurring themes and symbols of fugitivity, opacity and afrosurrealism. She has been an Artist in Residence within Laundromat Project's Creative Change Program, a mentor at the New Museum Incubator, and a Project Fellow at NYU Tisch Interactive Technology Program. She is committed to creating art, spaces, and experiences that inspire Black folks to imagine and co-create beautiful futures together.

In Person Attendees:

Testing: You must test before every in person/hybrid event, and show evidence of your most recent test results upon entry. 

Mask Requirements: We encourage all attendees to wear masks during the event.

Health Check: If you're feeling unwell or have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, we kindly ask you to stay home and join us virtually.

Sanitization: Hand sanitizing stations will be available at the venue, along with masks and a restricted supply of COVID-19tests. We strongly encourage you to use them as needed. 

Allergies: Refreshments will be served, please include any allergies and dietary restrictions in the provided space.

Note: Our Ujima Wednesdays workshops will take place at the Urban Farming Institute from April 17th to May 29th. Seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early to secure your spot for this enlightening workshop. For inquiries and more information, please contact comms@ujimaboston.com.