The School of Passing on

Ever since she was a child, she had been fascinated by listening to and telling stories. As she grew older, she discovered the power that lies in words and subsequently began to write. Mónica Salas was born by the sea, in Lima, Peru. Life gave her the opportunity to live in different cultures for extended periods of time. From each of these, she learnt to recognise the importance of the invisible and of diversity, and to develop resilience and flexibility on her life’s journey.

She has made the "here and now" her home. This enables her to create spaces for learning wherever she finds herself, and to help the people she meets to believe in the power of creation. Art and creativity are the tools she uses to achieve this.

In this workshop, Mónica Salas invites us to recall beautiful moments from our childhood and to share them with one another. We can then capture these memories using the linocut technique, so that they may accompany us on our life’s journey as little good-luck charms and protective talismans.

Since September 2022, LISBETH has been home to the “School of Passing On.” This project honors the embodied knowledge of older women and serves as a platform for intergenerational and intercultural exchange. Various practices in the areas of crafts, knowledge of nature and plants, community-building, and self-reflection have been shared so far. These have included workshops on singing, arts and crafts, activism, instrument-making, spinning thread, journaling, and fermentation – among many other topics. The “School of Passing On” is currently dedicated to the knowledge of women who are spending their later years in Germany but were born or raised elsewhere. 

What knowledge do you carry with you from your life experiences? What practices have accompanied you and become important to you in life?

The School of Passing On is curated by Alexis Hyman Wolff and made possible by a grant from the Fonds Soziokultur.