Rachel Lillie
Senior Lecturer, BA Illustration Animation, Kingston School of Art, Kingston University
Over Pole Hill: Waltham Forest Tours (2020), John Rogers, Rachel Lillie
Physical Connection and Sense Making: Workshop Culture and the Mobilisation of Illustration as Education
Abstract
Illustration is often referred to as a tool in which to organise, reflect, understand, and make sense of the complexities of the world around us, and our relationships with the people and places within. With this notion as relevant as ever, I relate to George E. Hein reflecting on John Dewey’s ideas around learning as “a personal and social construction of meaning out of the bewildering array of sensations which have no order or structure beside explanations we fabricate for them.”
Drawing upon ideas from constructivist learning theory, and reflecting upon these two ideas, this presentation discusses the intersection of illustration and education.
Making connections between the well-established relationships with drawing, print, and publishing and on the participatory turn in illustration practice over the last 10 years, I will elaborate on the cultural role of illustration as a method of knowledge construction and creation of meaningful experiences for audiences. I will draw links between methods of formal educational institutions, community, and place situated projects.
What are the opportunities for a purposeful application of illustration within alternative educational scenarios and communities of learners as audience and participants?
Bio
Rachel Lillie is an illustrator and educator, Lillie studied Visual Communication at Royal College of Art, graduating in 2012. She is Senior Lecturer at Kingston School of Art. Her work explores ideas around participation, narrative non fiction and place, utilising and adapting field methods, making and archival research.
She has exhibited work at Vestry House Museum and Somerset House about the history of Epping Forest, and House of Illustration as part of a six-month Residency. She develops site specific workshops and walks as part of a wider interest in educational experiences and community engagement in place. These workshops have been delivered across a range of cultural and educational institutions including Poole Museum in collaboration with The British Museum, Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow Wetlands and UAL Central Saint Martins working with BA Architecture students.