Recently, a group of University of Redlands and Tuskegee University students spent three weeks documenting the sights of London for a study abroad course on storytelling. In addition to learning about the region’s history, politics, and culture and how these elements can come together in photos and narrative, the group shared personal experiences and perspectives, making for a meaningful international learning experience.
In addition to taking photographs, the group spent time in Liverpool and Brighton learning about British history, from the country’s slave trade to the Beatles, Brexit, and immigration. “Having U of R and Tuskegee students on the trip together was magical,” says Art Professor Tommi Cahill. “Each student brought something different to the experience, which allowed them to learn a lot from each other.”
Here is a brief summary of the study abroad course
The students’ enrolled in the story telling May Term course and spent a significant time in the course making photographs and narrative creations describing their experience in a London. Using pens, pencils, journals, digital cameras, smart phones and instamatic cameras they will make a steady production of work (200 photographs a week) along with significant journaling. The photographs and words will have a critique of all the blogs, Instagram feeds and journals. Each week students will show growth in what they are making as well as what they are thinking about and how they present it. At the end of the semester the students worked together to design, curate and print a book or magazine that will contain contributions the form of a chapter from each student.
