Wanda Canton

Wanda's (pronounced Van-da) work offers an abolitionist critique of abolitionism. Inspired by the criminalisation of rap music (UK Drill), its demonisation and blame for knife violence, she stumbles across a recurrent obstacle: is the community embroiled in policing and does it therefore reproduce the power dynamics contrary to prison-industrial complex abolitionism? How can alternatives to the criminal justice system avoid repeating carceral logic? Wanda proposes that violence is a subjectivising experience and is developing a model of psycho-sonic reconciliation.

More widely Wanda is interested in experential and decolonial ways of knowing and sharing knowledge. More specifically, she focuses on the role of music and audio based practices, having founded 'Sonic Rebellions' in 2022 - an international network of artists, academics and activists exploring the relationship between sound and social justice. As a former mental health practitioner and group facilitator, Wanda worked with rap and spoken word as tools in recovery, developed primarily for incarcerated people and those affected by the criminal justice system.

Seminar lead and/or lecturer for the following modules:

• Punishment, Power and the State (2022, Brighton)
• Theories of Crime (2022, Brighton)
• Police and Policing (2022, Sussex)
• Thinking Like a Criminologist (2022, Sussex)
• Debates and Conflicts in Criminology (2024, Brighton)