Thinking Inside the Box

Thinking Inside the Box is a decolonial pedagogical framework that aims to create transformative, liberatory learning experiences through a critical engagement with archives. The framework was first conceptualised by Anna Grimaldi and Vinicius de Carvalho in 2016. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968), Thinking Inside the Box intends to mobilise the situated knowledges and experiences of learners through the collective interpretation of archival materials. Through this, the project intends to generate knowledge that incites politically and socially -conscious academic activism with authentic, real-world impact. The concept of ‘thinking inside the box’ arose as a provocation to historians and researchers of Latin America to engage with a specific archive that had recently been revived by the Special Collections of Senate House Library. The collection of Latin American Political Posters and Pamphlets held rare insights into Cold War-era historical processes from the perspective of marginal groups, offering the opportunity to challenge or complement dominant historical narratives. Our principle concept thus pushes back against the idea that interpretive innovation comes only from thinking outside the box (or the archive), arguing that new interpretations become available with every new glance one takes at what is already placed inside it. So far, the framework has been led by the King’s College London and the University of Leeds, and has engaged various higher education institutions, including the School of Advanced Studies, the London School of Economics, Queen Mary’s, and the University of Liverpool. It has also connected with various community-led movements, organisations and cultural institutions. As we continue to expand and engage new partners, our goal is to contribute to enhancing the transformative potential of pedagogical practices and student experiences. We welcome collaborations with archival collections, academic communities.