Workshop 1A Reading Activity: Arts Pedagogy
TTP
‘The New Life’: Mozambican Art Students in the USSR, and the Aesthetic Epistemologies of Anti-Colonial Solidarity – Polly Savage
Thoughts
My Reflections on Soviet Support and Ideological Influence
I think the Soviet Union genuinely intended to support anti-colonial movements, but their approach carried with political purpose. While they offered educational opportunities to African students, these efforts aligned closely with their own political ideologies. It was a strategic move on, they appeared to support liberation, but at the same time, they actively promoted their communist values. This had the intention of overshadowing local African aesthetics and cultural identities.
When I think about the environment the students were in, it must have been extremely challenging for them to express their own cultures without limitations. Even if they tried to involve elements of their own heritage, it could still be seen as fitting into the Soviet ideological framework. While the Soviet Union provided African students with educational opportunities, these came with ideological expectations. As Savage (2023) explains, “Presupposing superior knowledge and technology, Soviet narratives framed the USSR as the noble benefactor, the teacher, and Africa as the grateful recipient.” (p. 1080). This reflects how Soviet institutions subtly reinforced their own ideological and artistic values, sometimes at the expense of students’ individual or cultural expression. If they openly acknowledged their cultural influences, it might be interpreted as agreement with the Soviet perspective.
However, if they chose not to highlight their culture, it might be seen as lacking confidence in their own identity.
In some ways, this could be seen as a form of ideological colonization. Instead of encouraging African students to fully embrace and develop their own traditions.
Would I Have Recognized This as a Student?
If I had been one of those students, I wonder if I would have realised how I was being shaped. When you’re young and immersed in a new environment, it’s easy to absorb what’s around you without questioning it. It takes time to have Critical thinking, and it is not instinctive. This makes me reflect on how vulnerable young minds can be to external influences.
Relating This to My Teaching Practice
This reflection also made me consider my role as a lecturer Am I, even unintentionally, projecting my beliefs or values onto my students? While I aim to inspire and guide, I don’t want to inadvertently limit their perspectives or impose my own.
I remember giving a one-on-one tutorial with a student once, and since I didn’t completely understand the cultural relevance of their work, I automatically assessed it using my own aesthetic framework even though the student’s work had many aspects of their own culture that I didn’t know much about.
I realize that students’ mindsets might unintentionally influence how they view and comprehend their own culture. This may have been discouraging and impacted the student’s cultural confidence because I evaluated their work in this instance using my own expertise and aesthetic perspective. This led me to think: how can I help students explore their own cultural expression more effectively without imposing my own aesthetic preferences?
Moving forward, One of my goals is to help my students develop a deeper self-awareness. I want them to question not just the world around them, but also the frameworks that guide their own thinking—including those introduced in the classroom. By encouraging reflective practices and open discussions, I hope to empower them to explore their own identities and challenge established norms, including the ones I might unknowingly present.
Reference
Polly Savage (2023) ‘The New Life’: Mozambican Art Students in the USSR, and the Aesthetic Epistemologies of Anti-Colonial Solidarity.’, Art History, 45(5), pp. 1076–1097. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8365.12692 (Accessed: 11 March 2025).