Anita Prest

Anita Prest is a Lansdowne Fellow in the decolonization of music education and an associate professor of music education at the University of Victoria, Canada, located on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən people. Guided by several First Nations, Métis, and non-Indigenous partners, she conducts community-based research to examine the integration of local Indigenous knowledge, pedagogies, and worldviews into music courses in British Columbia public schools. She is also involved in international research exploring the ethical standards and practices currently used in research and development initiatives to ensure the responsible and sustainable sharing of traditional music in various global contexts of Indigenous music education. She works with partners in Canada, Mexico, and Australia to devise ways to better support the leadership development of Indigenous youth in their efforts to maintain and revitalize their worldviews and cultural practices. Anita is co-founder of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Special Interest Group on Decolonization and Indigenization of Music Education. She teaches undergraduate music courses and graduate research methodology courses. Prior to her appointment at the University of Victoria, Anita taught music to students from kindergarten through high school for 20 years in both rural and metropolitan settings.