The Interpreting the Everyday workshop, held on the 3rd and 4th of October 2020, was a two-day online session designed to introduce participants to the concept of visual literacy. Led by educator and media scholar Ruchika Gurung, the workshop delved into the role of images in shaping our understanding of the world around us. As visual culture increasingly becomes a dominant form of communication, this workshop sought to provide participants with the tools to critically engage with the visual media they encounter daily.
The session aimed to answer important questions such as: What is a visual image? How do we make meaning of images?and What are the consequences of our interpretation of images? By exploring these fundamental ideas, the workshop fostered a deeper understanding of the power of visual media and its impact on personal, social, and political narratives.
Through discussions and interactive sessions, participants were introduced to key concepts in visual literacy, expanding their ability to interpret and articulate their understanding of images. The workshop also addressed the following core ideas:
The Nature of Visual Images: Understanding what constitutes an image and how meaning is constructed through visual representation.
Visual Interpretation: Examining how individuals and communities make meaning of visual media, exploring both conscious and unconscious ways of interpreting images.
Politics of Identity and Representation: Engaging with how identity—whether social, cultural, or political—is shaped, challenged, and represented in visual culture. The workshop also took an intersectional approach to this discussion, exploring the complex ways in which identity intersects with issues of race, gender, and class in visual media.
Case Studies of Art Practices: Participants explored a variety of art practices to gain a deeper insight into how artists and creators convey meaning through visual media.
Mediation of the Surroundings: Reflecting on the everyday environments we inhabit, the workshop encouraged participants to view the ordinary through a critical lens, allowing them to explore how even the most mundane images and scenes hold deeper meanings when viewed through a visual literacy framework.
The workshop was led by Ruchika Gurung, an educator and scholar with a strong focus on participatory learning and critical engagement with media and culture.
Ruchika holds a doctoral degree in Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. She has taught Media and Cultural Studies at both the University of East Anglia and Symbiosis International University in India.
Ruchika is currently a faculty member at Whistling Woods International in Mumbai, where she continues to teach and engage with students on topics related to media, culture, and film. As an advocate for inclusive learning, she has worked on various outreach and community-based projects in both India and England, bringing a rich, diverse perspective to her teaching and workshops.
Interactive Discussions: The workshop fostered a participatory environment, encouraging active discussions and reflections on the role of visuals in daily life. Through group activities and reflections, participants were able to contextualize the theoretical aspects of visual literacy within their own experiences.
Practical Application: By analyzing real-world examples, case studies, and works from various art forms, participants learned how visual images communicate complex ideas, identities, and narratives.
Intersectional Lens: The exploration of identity and representation through an intersectional lens gave participants the opportunity to critically evaluate how images reflect and perpetuate social inequalities and cultural biases.
Mediation on Everyday Surroundings: In addition to theoretical discussions, the workshop encouraged participants to engage directly with their own environments, observing and reflecting on the images around them and their hidden meanings.
The Interpreting the Everyday workshop was an enriching and thought-provoking experience for all participants. By critically reflecting on the visual images that surround us, participants were encouraged to engage with the world of visual media in a more informed, conscious, and analytical way. The two-day workshop provided a valuable opportunity for learners to develop their visual literacy skills and to deepen their understanding of the politics of identity, representation, and cultural narratives in visual media.
Given the current age where visual culture continues to play an increasingly dominant role in how we communicate, learn, and perceive the world, workshops like these are essential in equipping individuals with the tools to navigate and interpret the visual language around them.
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