Translating and Writing Modern Design Histories in East Asia for the Global World

This two-year project addresses the AHRC's 'translating cultures' highlight notice in design histories. It creates three forums for the discussion and exchange of ideas and formulating a network of design historians working on three design activities: craft/product, graphics and fashion in three East Asia regions: Japan, Korea, Taiwan/Hong Kong/PRC. The three forums are: (1) a symposium in Tokyo in July 2012; (2) a workshop in Yunlin July 2013; and (3) a symposium in London in May 2014. Each forum will be used to exchange empirical data, debate and identify common and different issues of modernities, while exploring the idea of 'global design histories' and the strategies for engagement and connection. The PI and CO-I are UK based design historians specialising in East Asian design, and will lead the intellectual debate that bridges parallel developments in East Asia and Anglophone centres. Through this structured networking, it is envisaged that many new ideas and critical issues will be identified which enable a contribution to knowledge. The research will propose a 'global design history' framework and whereby new ideas for formulating joint international projects funded by East Asian institutions and foundations, will be created. In addition, relationships that will have a long-term impact on teaching and academic studies of design history in the UK will be established.

The two workshops and the open symposia of this project facilitate engagement between East Asia and Anglophone centres as well as, inter-East Asia in favour of a new framework for global design history. Cross fertilisation of research from three studied regions, Japan, China and Korea stimulates debates on the idea of 'global' in Design History. This enables not only the PI and Co-I but also project participants to re-examine existing research for the new framework which will have impact upon the future direction of design histories in these regions. Through the open symposia, discussion and project outcomes will be disseminated amongst academic circles and to the general public. The project findings will also be manifested through publications and public projects such as travelling exhibitions on East Asian Design and/or oral history projects that draw links between wider public and institutions. These will have impact upon local communities and extend beyond the lifespan of the project.
International collaboration with local design historians in nine HE institutions is of utmost importance to this project. The proposed project will build on the success of the existing alliance to develop further outcomes. It also enables the formation of a new collaboration between Korea and China where research in East-Asian design is under investigated. Interactions with these participants will develop further research, exchanges and exhibitions on modern design in East Asia. Through these professional networks a long-term positive impact, such as attracting overseas funding for further international research and exhibition projects, is expected.

Within UAL, they will impact the TrAIN PhD supervision and TrAIN-CCW design lecture series which thePI leads, as well as TrAIN PhD programmes, lecture series and TrAIN-InIVA programme in which the PI is involved. The outcomes will also positively impact LCF PhD supervision due to the position held by the Co-I who is heavily involved the Artefact and Curation Research Hub and leads the MA in Fashion History and Culture.Outside of UAL, research outcomes will influence the research direction of the International Journal of Design History of which the PI is an editorial board member. In addition the PI is on the Editorial Boards of British Association of Japanese Studies and the British Association of Korean Studies. The outcomes will also influence the direction taken by the annual conference of Global Fashion and "Catwalk: Journal of Beauty and Style", of which the Co-I is a member of the steering group and editorial board member respectively. Aside from academic benefits, the Co-I is a member of the Board of Trustees of Chinese Arts Centre (Manchester) which provides an opportunity for the research outcomes to influence its strategic direction and shape its curatorial programmes.

Both the PI and Co-I have a network of peers both within and beyond academia, by which the outcomes of the project can be disseminated. They have a strong record of working together to produce a substantial impact, through publication, exhibition projects and conferences. Advancement of research specialisation in East Asian design history at UAL has direct impact on its research and teaching activities as Chinese, Korean and Japanese students ranking in the top ten percentile of UAL student population. This project addresses fundamental questions which facilitate the development of modern and contemporary studies of East Asian cultures both at academic and public levels. A research culture created by this project will have substantial educational impact through research and teaching in and beyond the UK.