This course offers a walk-and-talk-and-make something way of getting to know Aarhus. Or getting to know Aarhus better and in a new way. It combines exploring the city’s spaces with creative exercises that foster an individual and personal experience of the city. Using walking as the first exploration, you will be offered stories from the places visited and a new lens through which to view theses spaces. Creating is the second exploration in which the experiences from the walks become the inspiration for a personal creative interpretation. You do not need to have any artistic background or skills to participate. Just a curious mind!!!

1. Introduction and material exercises

You will be introduced to the course and the different ways you can experience the city and record your experiences. In addition, there will be a series of loosening up exercises to get you familiar with materials and methods.

2. Walk and talk 1

We will walk together, but individually, along a pre-mapped route, where you will record what you notice and experience using various methods. Along the way, there will be ‘story stops’ where city narratives will be shared.

3. Exploring – impressions and details

Using your experience and impressions, you will be urged and guided to go deeper and into the experience by interpreting it.

4. Expressing and making

Here, your interpretations take a physical and cohesive form. The experience of the walk becomes your personal interpretive object.

5. Walk and talk 2

We will walk together again, individually, but along a different pre-mapped route. The route will give you clues about how to record the experience. ‘Story stops’ are also a part of this walk, where the city reveals some secrets.

6. Exploring experience as expressions

The interpretation of your second walk will explore different methods and materials. As you were given clues to how to record the experience by the walk, your interpretation of the walk will inform the expression.

7. Expressing and making

The expression you work with here will be a further exploration of materials, methods and experiences, and produce a new personal interpretive object. 

8. Final talks, show-and-tell and inspiration exercises

For the final session, we will show and talk about what you have made, experienced and reflected upon. As a farewell, you will be given suggestions for further inspiration to continue your creative exploring. Materials included (200,- DKK)

Shelley is an architect, researcher and teacher. She has degrees in design, architecture and urbanism from Ryerson University in Toronto, and from the Aarhus Architecture School. She has over 25 years of experience teaching architecture and workshops that tap into creativity – often in unusual and surprising ways. Her focus is on bringing to the surface and activating the creative potential we all have inside of us.