Swati Piparsania
Project: Know Your Rights Community Training
The project offers two free sessions of “Know Your Rights” or “Defend Your Rights” training to the black and brown communities of Bed-Stuy. These communities are disproportionately targeted by racial policing, often lacking the knowledge and resources to interact confidently and assertively with law enforcement, particularly the NYPD. Hosted by a long time community organizer Collin Poirot and an immigration attorney, these workshops aim to equip attendees with the necessary tools to navigate various levels of interactions, such as “what to do when stopped by police,” “how to respond when you get arrested,” and “how to manage risk while protesting.”
Bio:
Swati Piparsania is an interdisciplinary designer and educator specializing in spatial object-based approaches. She delves into collective behaviors that shape one’s perceptions of identity, bias, and positionality, with a particular focus on how built environments are tools of spatial surveillance and oppression. Incorporating her expertise in transformative pedagogies ,interactive forms, and equity-based approaches, Swati collaborates with public school teachers, attorneys, environmental activists, and community organizers to create meaningful interventions that promote social change. Swati (b. Bhilai, India) holds an MFA in 3D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI, and a BFA in Furniture and Spatial Design from Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology, Bangalore, India. Currently, she works as an Assistant Professor teaching Industrial Design at Pratt Institute, NY.