The course is build to nurture a continuously evolving eco-literate design community, stretching beyond the duration of the course. In this way, graduates, their extended communities and stakeholders become part of a knowledge and practice-led rhizome network.
As MA_RD course developed a set of values that function as central guide for our developing ecosystem. These values are connected as a whole, one supporting the other and have been developed for guidance, awareness, reflection and activation.
We are many entities and contexts, and believe our course makes a difference through building alliances and extending community to human and nonhuman around the world. By weaving a network together of enablers, we want to be deeply attuned with the pluriverse, forming collectives through diverse ways of knowing, making and learning.
(SYSTEMIC CHANGE)
We seek to equip design practitioners who are committed to stewarding the cause of restoring ecological-social health and take up new roles to lead regeneration in practice, activism, industry, policy making, education and/or communities. Central aspects are building new narratives and futures, practicing democratic and fair, integrated ways that serve the planet and its inhabitants.
(HOLISTIC)
We embraces a holistic worldview that acknowledges trans polycultures, and interconnected the notion of the whole. Living systems exists of diverse knowledges, experience, perspectives and practices. Applying holistic and ethical skillsets are central for a dialogic understanding and collaborative practice.
(LOCAL / LEGACY)
We aim to contribute to a world in which designers practice collectively within communities, making positive ecological and social change, acknowledging that we are part of a whole living system. Our students connect a timeline, critically connecting past, present and futures whilst actively engaging in world-making
(RELATEDNESS)
MARD centers relational ecosystems, by continuously connecting the human and non-human, the past, present and future conditions and patterns of place. Understanding the deep time of relations enables our students understand the complexity of the world and translate, democratise and reimagine the terms of being part of an interdependent system.
(ACTIVISM)
MARD takes place in situated learning and contexts to create powerful, lasting collaborations, investing in change, solidarity and collective action. We give agency to grassroots movement, developing seeds of change and advocate for those who support the ecosystem health.
(ECO-SOCIAL JUSTICE)
MARD serves through education and local communities, continiously reflecting on whose behalf we are working. We educate a generation of regenerative practitioners that work open, inclusive and non-extractivist. Through designing for eco-social justice, our course can bring learning to practice, and practice to learning.
(REGENERATIVE ETHOS)
We aim to be regenerative in our actions, personally, professionally and collectively. As designers we aim to shift our role from an intention of ‘solving’ to ‘contributing’ to this change – moving from a position of individualism and ‘ego’ to collective action. Integrity is a central aspect to our course.