Guernica Remakings, North with South: research into the practice of cross-cultural translation through making, impact and engagement.

Post-apartheid South Africa (1994) and post-colonial Mauritius (1968) both have a socio-political legacy of oppression within their respective histories. Access to the arts was denied to the majority of South Africans prior to 1994 and stark imbalances still remain. In Mauritius the legacy of slavery and indentured servitude are still found at the root cause of societal divisions. This history is described in the Mauritian Truth and Justice Commission Report published in 2011 as "still open wounds that may fester if deliberate measures are not taken for national reconciliation"(31). In line with arts and culture policy in both countries there is an emphasis placed on the promotion of the arts and culture to address social injustice. Notably after years of neglect within mainstream trade and industry policy the creative industries are also now being recognised as an important growth area for the economies of Low and Middle income countries, including South Africa and Mauritius. It is within this context and in line with arts and culture policy in both countries this project focuses on art practice in sustainable development: encouraging creative excellence, empowering creative individuals and promoting and developing international networks in the arts. This will be realised through a tour of the exhibition Guernica Remakings, the formation of a Learning Lab that accompanies the exhibition and the distribution of the video documentation of the exhibition and the Lab.

The Learning Lab consciously creates a democratic environment that will foster discussion on art and social change, support the development of professional art practice through peer to peer collaboration and exchange with artists in residence, and expand the artistic networks of participating artists and Project Partners. Insights and best practice will permeate beyond participants to peers and related organisations; beneficiaries will grow exponentially through the dissemination of the documentary videos of the Learning Lab and the Guernica Remakings exhibition.

This project, Guernica Remakings, North with South, builds upon the AHRC funded research: Guernica Remakings, South Africa and continues work with the Project Partner the Keiskamma Art Project. Located in the Eastern Cape, in the poorest region of South Africa, the Art Project has remade Guernica four times since 2010. Their translation of Picasso's iconic anti-fascist artwork transforms its geography, time and narrative from: Spain to South Africa, from the early 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, from anti-fascism to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The research project focused upon this process of cross-cultural translation through the creation of a fifth Keiskamma Guernica and asked why Guernica? Captured in the 12 part video documentary are some of the supportive, collaborative art making practices developed through the Art Project. Consequently the aims of this follow-on project include:

1.To transfer learning about key empowering collaborative activist art practices through the effective cross-cultural translation of Guernica.
2.To reach new audiences beyond conventional gallery visitors.
3.To develop deep and mutual partnerships with artist led organisations to co-produce knowledge and understanding of the role of art in sustainable international development to inform best practice.
4.To co-create a resource to inform best practice regarding the role of art in sustainable international development.

Guernica Remakings, North with South contributes towards the effective use of art in sustainable international development and the welfare of people primarily from the ODA recipient countries of South Africa and Mauritius. After years of neglect within mainstream trade and industry policy the creative industries are now being recognised as an important growth area for the economies of Low and Middle Income countries, including South Africa and Mauritius. Project Partners include the South African Keiskamma Art Project and the pan-Indian Island organisation pARTage. The Keiskamma Art Project gives employment to over 100 from the villages of Hamburg and Bodiam in the Eastern Cape that work as a collective. pARTage, in contrast, is an umbrella organisation for individual artists living within the Islands of the Indian Ocean Region (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles). Within this project the Guernica Remakings exhibition is set to tour around the UK and to Mauritius. The exhibition creates an inspiring environment in which to foster cultural exchange and creative dialogue between artistic communities through a programme of activities that forms a Learning Lab. The Learning Lab in Mauritius will complement and work with the international two-week workshop run by pARTage in April 2019 in which four Keiskamma Art Project artists will participate, alongside pARTage artists, and other international artists. pARTage has an established history of running international workshops for both emerging artists and established artists creating a supportive and stimulating environment to help further their art practice and to foster transnational creative dialogue on contemporary art.

This Follow-on project through the Learning Lab that accompanies the touring Guernica Remakings exhibition consciously creates a democratic environment that will foster discussion on art and social change, support the development of professional art practice through peer to peer collaboration and exchange with artists in residence, and expand the artistic networks of participating artists and Project Partners. Insights and best practice will permeate beyond participants to peers and related organisations; beneficiaries will grow exponentially through the dissemination of the documentary videos of the Learning Lab and the Guernica Remakings exhibition.