This LAB was an experiential journey through creative arts in the context of Okinawan culture and history.
The Ryūkyū archipelago has a rich creative history of songs, poems, artwork and music passed on from oral traditions recorded in song books. This compilation of Omoro Sōshi showcases the literary culture in the archipelago before the invasion of the Satsuma Clan in 1609, the beginning of the occupation of the islands that continues today. These songs and poems preserve the spirits of the people as well as the essence and environment of the islands that still exist today amidst dominant belief systems from Japan. Amidst violence imposed on Okinawa in the past and continued destructive actions occurring now, these creative expressions resisted dominant narratives of the islands told by the conquerors.
This LAB investigated these social issues and explored indigenous perspectives from the point of view of islanders. The group examined the richness of local stories from the viewpoint of artists, poets and other cultural workers who embodied the spirit of the islands. At the end of the LAB, the group held a multimedia exhibition titled ‘Our See of Islands’ where each student presented a piece of art they had worked on during the LAB, using a range of media including photography, poetry, painting, audio and video.
