This was a project with Dr Esther Sayers and Dr Tara Page where we were encouraged to think of space and place through mapping.  We discussed how relationships within a place can make you who you are, but that relationship then makes that place special.  We were being guided to be more conscious of ourselves and our surroundings.  

These types of project can be used as practices and theories of teaching and learning.  Encouraging the participant to think about how we learn about place and how place teaches us.  It encourages the participant to tap into other senses on a regular journey and think about smells, thoughts, feelings they have.  This can help develop a person and their feelings of belonging.  It could be argued that the more you know and understand about place, the more you know and understand about yourself.

We went on three individual walks to map the space we inhabit around Goldsmiths.  Firstly I took a piece of ribbon and made a bow on specific places around the university campus that meant something to me.  This was a really therapeutic exercise and allowed me to reconnect with memories and areas of the university that I had not connected with for a long time.  Secondly I went on a walk around 288 NX Road where we do ours Arts Practice module putting post-it notes up in areas I have feeling and memory.  Again this was a really interesting process and made me connect with a lot of memories I had within the building as well as initial feelings, thoughts and senses I was having in the moment.  Finally I went on a diary walk and just pottered around the campus making notes in my sketchbook about how I was feeling, what I was looking at, and why I had stopped to look at it.  I ended up going to parts of the university campus I had never been to before, as I never had a need to.  It made me feel more connected to the place and really appreciate the depths of my surroundings.

I think this is a great exercise that can be used within education, youth and community projects.