Workshop

Bridging Worlds: Using Illustration as a Common Language for Inclusive Science in the Tropics.

Organizer(s):

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Language shapes the way we perceive the world. The words and structures available in a language guide our attention, influencing what we notice, describe, and value in our environment. Different languages encode different knowledge systems, each offering unique ways of understanding the natural world. However, when people who do not share a common language try to communicate, much of this insight can be lost—especially in science. 

Scientific knowledge is overwhelmingly produced and communicated in English, creating a power dynamic where those fluent in the language have greater access to and authority over knowledge production. This system often marginalizes other ways of knowing, particularly those embedded in Indigenous and local languages. When scientific concepts do not align with existing words or frameworks in another language, communication is not just difficult—it can erase alternative perspectives altogether. 

This workshop seeks to address this challenge by exploring art as a shared language for knowledge exchange. Visual expression can transcend linguistic barriers, offering a way to recognize and communicate natural processes across different cultural and linguistic contexts. 

In this workshop we will develop two ways of communication through illustration: Part I: Recognizing Local Knowledge. Illustration as a common language to apply radical listening and learn from rural and indigenous communities about their knowledge in ecology and natural history to the scientific community. We will focus on participatory social mapping. Part II: Sharing the knowledge we develop with the world. Illustration as a common language to communicate the results of research processes from the scientific community to rural and indigenous communities. We will focus on comics and graphical abstracts as tools. 

Objective of the workshop: In this workshop we will explore ways to facilitate understanding and dialogue between rural and indigenous communities and the scientific community using illustration as a common language, aiming to enrich research processes and foster multidirectional knowledge exchange. Participants will leave with ideas for using art/illustration as a tool for participatory mapping with diverse communities, engaging diverse audiences through graphical abstracts, and other ways of communication.