Bring Your Privilege
In June 2018, the event "Decolonize the academy!", initiated by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), sparked a nationwide debate in Norway. Yet what exactly does it mean to ‘decolonize’? The what, when, who, where, how and why of this issue needs to be explored, as the polemic and polarized debate on decolonizing confirmed the need for discussion and clarification on topics of multi-perspectivity, equality, access, and power relations in institutions in Norway.
Based on the experience of the 2018 event PRIO and the Goethe-Institut Norway founded in 2019 an open network for individuals from academic and cultural institutions in Oslo who are interested in reflecting on privileges and power relations in their respective institutions.
Previous Events
28 May 2019
The curator Selene Wendt guided network members through the exhibition “The sea is history” at Oslo’s Kulturhistorisk Museum. The exhibition featured work by contemporary artists who address issues of migration and displacement from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Derek Walcott’s poems, and Stuart Hall’s and Édouard Glissant’s contribution to cultural theory all provide valuable insight into the works featured in the exhibition and the topics addressed by the participating artists.
26 March 2019
Network dinner at PRIO, where we invited academics, artists, activists and others to mingle informally over dinner, building on the relationships that had been established in the “Bring your privilege” workshop at the Goethe-Institut. The evening led to inspiring conversations between people who might normally not meet, and several informal initiatives for follow-up of exchanges and collaborations were established.
6 February 2019
In a half-day workshop with the title “Bring your privilege” at the Goethe-Institut the group explored the role and significance of privilege in Norway. Through individual reflection, shared explorations and creative group exercises, participants explored collective societal narratives, institutional roles, as well as individual potentialities. The workshop provided a space for cultural practitioners and academics to engage with and learn from each other.
Illustration: Goethe-Institut Oslo