Maternal archives of songs

Course Brief

Abstract

In this course you will engage with community knowledge systems and practices through the lens of songs and oral traditions. Learners will learn to document and reflect on reproductive health practices and other cultural forms surrounding maternal life. “Maternal” here speaks not only of mothers or in reproductive sense, but of the generative, nurturing, and sustaining force of communities. These songs are womb-like vessels of memory, care, and continuity. The course explores how the socio-cultural practices of maternal knowledge are expressed through songs and how they can be archived, interpreted, and represented as narratives.

This course is relevant to learners interested in oral histories, women’s histories, cultural studies, ethnography, folklore, music composers, and creative writing. It is also suitable for practitioners in the fields of art, archival practice, anthropology, literature, and community-based research.

Learners are encouraged to apply if they want to:

• Learn to co-create narratives based on community knowledge

• Understand how cultural practices and knowledge in these communities are preserved and transmitted.

• Explore methods of documenting and archiving oral histories.

• Engage with diverse voices and lived experiences through the medium of songs.

The course will be facilitated through field-based learning, where our community collaborators will sing some of these songs, followed by discussions and reflections along with collective listening, transcribing, and interpretation of songs. This will also include having sessions on methods of documentation and archiving.

Learners can take these methods and insights towards,

• Contributing to academic or public discourse on community knowledge.

• Integrating oral traditions into creative writing or visual arts.

• Applying documentation and archival practices in their community or research contexts.

Keywords

Community Knowledge, Everyday practices, Documentation and archiving, Oral history, Reproductive Health Cultures, Ritualistic Songs

Course Objective

The course highlights the community songs and performative practices as vital archives of community knowledge. It explores these community songs as living archives in place-based practices of care and memory. The course starts with the everyday, the ways people already make and share knowledge. We learn from the places we stand, we learn with the communities around us, and from the lullabies, birthing songs, and performative practices that surround them. It begins with a mother humming while grinding grain, or a grandma’s cradle song passed across generations. We learn from these intimate acts of singing. These songs are living cultural practices that sustain care, creativity, and community well-being.

Learning Outcomes

• A practical understanding of how to document oral knowledge systems using audio recorders, cameras, transcription techniques, and field journals; how to handle ethical considerations such as consent and reciprocity.

• Methodological grounding from approaches such as ethnography, folklore studies, and archival practice to guide fieldwork, listening, and interpretation.

• Appreciation for working collaboratively with communities.

• The ability to produce narratives such as stories, essays, or visual works from field-based materials.

The outcome can support learners to develop their own community-based research interests and archival practices. It can also strengthen their methodological grounding in ethnography, oral history, and cultural studies.

Learning modes

This will include field immersion, where the learners will be working with communities to document songs and practices around it, this will be in the form of baitak, and the learners themselves will go to community collaborator’s place if required. In addition to this, group discussions for feedback, shared interpretations, documentation exercises such as recording, writing, and archiving methods are used.

Learners will engage both individually (in documentation exercises) and collectively (in group discussion, co-archiving, and producing outcomes.) The emphasis will be on collaborative learning.

What you bring?

Learners should have an openness to field-based and collaborative work, willingness to engage with community knowledge, no other prior expertise but sensitivity and humility are essential.

Prerequisites for the learners,

• It is desirable if the learner can read, write, and understand Kannada, but not compulsory.

• Ability to listen, engage respectfully, and collaborate.

• Interest in oral histories, women’s knowledge, or cultural practices.

• are 21 years and above

Learners are encouraged to bring their own creative, technical, research, or community-based practices into the course.

What will you make?

• Methods of documenting songs and oral traditions that could be in the form of audio recording, video recording for documenting gestures, performance settings, community interactions, compiling and writing what we see, hear, feel, the surrounding atmosphere through field journaling and thick description.

• Skills for transcribing, translating, and interpreting community knowledge.

• Insights into community practices and rituals.

• Practice in collaborative archiving and narrative-making.

Learners will co-create a small collection or archive of songs and narratives gathered during the course as part of People’s Archive of Bidar. This may take the form of a digital or physical compilation or publication.

Course Fee

Fee Summary

Our course fees vary based on the total Notional Learning Hours (NLH). When you view a course description, you'll see a transparent breakdown of costs which reflects the unique structure and requirements of that particular learning experience. The published cost calculation below gives you clarity on what's included in your fees. As more learners join a course, we may adjust the per-person cost accordingly. We track all expenditures carefully against our initial estimates to ensure resources are used effectively for your learning journey. For more information please look at FAQ page.

Fee does not include

• Cost of accommodation is not included in the fees. We can support the learners to find hotel accommodation. Typically we recommend 2-3 learners sharing a room to reduce the expenses. The hotel accommodation will cost Rs.1000/night on a triple sharing basis.

• Cost of any equipment or other specific materials relevant to Learner’s practice. We recommend the learners to carry any specialised equipments or materials with them to Bidar.

• Food and local commute is not included in the fees. The cost towards the same may be approx Rs.500 per day.