Future Memory in Place
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Classics and Ancient History
Abstract
If there is no true, authentic or essential relationship between people and territory, no primordial tie between body and soil, then how does any one place gain meaning? How does experience of a site and its landscape, or social tools such as citizenship, create a sense of belonging and identity that is associated with locational place? How does an imagined community such as the nation state form, and whom does it include? These are all questions which underpin the current project Future Memory in Place. It follows on from research into these questions that was conducted in the original Beyond Text initiative De-Placing Future Memory and are currently being explored in relation to the ancient world in the project Paradoxes of Place. The historical context, especially one that was highly mobile, is essential for understanding what an alternative non-territorially based sense of belonging may have looked like, and the role of place within it. Such a perspective also encourages a reconsideration of what is meant by the foreigner and migrant. If we are all mobile in some way then how is that mobility distinguished, other than by crossing borders? While these projects look primarily to the past, to better comprehend the production of place, the current proposal looks forward. Its aim is to create an environment that brings together seemingly disparate communities that jointly participate in the construction of place through common experience. In so doing it will enact and disseminate the research findings to a wider public through a collaboration of academic and art practice, generating opportunities for knowledge exchange.
The focus communities of this project, all based in Swansea, are school students and refugees. They will be engaged through a series of workshops, constructed by the leading Welsh artist Catrin Webster, in collaboration with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the Centre for Migration Policy Research (CMPR), at Swansea University. Journeys will be a central activity, since the shifting from one place to another affects perception, understanding, memory and response. It can be via a small shift from a corner of a room to a window, or journeys across time, space and cultures. Mobility is key to our interaction with the world and is seen as an essential part of our existence; however, within the very mobile nature of being human we also need time to adjust to new environments, to consider where we are. Therefore the workshops create an opportunity to do both; to be mobile and also to be present.
They will consist of an introduction to key themes through the lens of the ancient world questioning current preconceptions of the migrant and the meaning of place. The artist will lead participants on a journey into the city scape, introducing visual methods to record it, including drawing, colour collection, and digital capture. The focus will be on individual interpretation of communal experience. The journey will then be re-presented in the gallery workshop. The principal method of investigation will be literally beyond text, as this project seeks to give an alternative language to participants, through a focus on visual perceptions and modes of communication.
Throughout the project there will be an interactive web presence, using the Beyond Text project Web Site and YouTube to allow participants to add journey experiences. These will then be incorporated in new art works through re-mixing. The project will culminate in a public site-specific installation, incorporating the work of all participants and also original pieces by Webster. Providing a new imagined community for those who have conducted the same journeys and jointly created place. The final element will be the design of an education resource, for use in the Citizenship Curriculum, so the findings will continue to be disseminated. With the help of the CMPR it is hoped that there will also be an opportunity to inform current policy on issues of migration.
The focus communities of this project, all based in Swansea, are school students and refugees. They will be engaged through a series of workshops, constructed by the leading Welsh artist Catrin Webster, in collaboration with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the Centre for Migration Policy Research (CMPR), at Swansea University. Journeys will be a central activity, since the shifting from one place to another affects perception, understanding, memory and response. It can be via a small shift from a corner of a room to a window, or journeys across time, space and cultures. Mobility is key to our interaction with the world and is seen as an essential part of our existence; however, within the very mobile nature of being human we also need time to adjust to new environments, to consider where we are. Therefore the workshops create an opportunity to do both; to be mobile and also to be present.
They will consist of an introduction to key themes through the lens of the ancient world questioning current preconceptions of the migrant and the meaning of place. The artist will lead participants on a journey into the city scape, introducing visual methods to record it, including drawing, colour collection, and digital capture. The focus will be on individual interpretation of communal experience. The journey will then be re-presented in the gallery workshop. The principal method of investigation will be literally beyond text, as this project seeks to give an alternative language to participants, through a focus on visual perceptions and modes of communication.
Throughout the project there will be an interactive web presence, using the Beyond Text project Web Site and YouTube to allow participants to add journey experiences. These will then be incorporated in new art works through re-mixing. The project will culminate in a public site-specific installation, incorporating the work of all participants and also original pieces by Webster. Providing a new imagined community for those who have conducted the same journeys and jointly created place. The final element will be the design of an education resource, for use in the Citizenship Curriculum, so the findings will continue to be disseminated. With the help of the CMPR it is hoped that there will also be an opportunity to inform current policy on issues of migration.
Planned Impact
The whole project is Impact oriented. Its aim is to enact and disseminate the research to the wider community, not in a passive way, but rather through a process of knowledge exchange. Our main aim is to serve as the catalysts for the creation of an alternative imaginary rather than as dispensers of knowledge.
The Impact may be divided into four categories.
1) The most substantial and the central one of the project is the engagement with the school children and the communities of refugees and asylum seekers. This will be conducted through a series of workshops as described in the Case for Support. We hope to have some 500 - 600 direct participants on the project, with the high potential of additional participants, such as family groups, friends and other members of the public, who will come for the final public presentation and site-specific art installation at the end of the project.
2) We will be using Social Networking Sites such as YouTube, through which to gather and manipulate the data, which will culminate in a jointly created art work. This will allow many more individuals to access the project and its themes.
3) The workshops will be carried out in collaboration with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, and will provide an additional educational project for their programme, while allowing us to benefit from their knowledge, infrastructure and facilities to conduct our activity. It will also be carried out in collaboration with CMPR, Centre for Migration Policy Research, and will provide a long term perspective for contemporary approaches to the so called migration 'crisis', and in doing so present some alternative models.
4) The creation of an educational resource at the end of the project will ensure continuing interest in the research themes to a wider audience and also provide an alternative model for approaching the issues of citizenship, identity and migration within the school curriculum.
5) The activities of the project and the final art works that will result from it will be recorded and archived within the publicly available Digital Collection at the University of Exeter. It will be added to the already existing Digital Collection for the original Beyond Text Project, De-Placing Future Memory. This will provide a more permanent location for the project out comes and records.
The Impact may be divided into four categories.
1) The most substantial and the central one of the project is the engagement with the school children and the communities of refugees and asylum seekers. This will be conducted through a series of workshops as described in the Case for Support. We hope to have some 500 - 600 direct participants on the project, with the high potential of additional participants, such as family groups, friends and other members of the public, who will come for the final public presentation and site-specific art installation at the end of the project.
2) We will be using Social Networking Sites such as YouTube, through which to gather and manipulate the data, which will culminate in a jointly created art work. This will allow many more individuals to access the project and its themes.
3) The workshops will be carried out in collaboration with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, and will provide an additional educational project for their programme, while allowing us to benefit from their knowledge, infrastructure and facilities to conduct our activity. It will also be carried out in collaboration with CMPR, Centre for Migration Policy Research, and will provide a long term perspective for contemporary approaches to the so called migration 'crisis', and in doing so present some alternative models.
4) The creation of an educational resource at the end of the project will ensure continuing interest in the research themes to a wider audience and also provide an alternative model for approaching the issues of citizenship, identity and migration within the school curriculum.
5) The activities of the project and the final art works that will result from it will be recorded and archived within the publicly available Digital Collection at the University of Exeter. It will be added to the already existing Digital Collection for the original Beyond Text Project, De-Placing Future Memory. This will provide a more permanent location for the project out comes and records.
People |
ORCID iD |
Elena Isayev (Principal Investigator) |
Title | 1000 Colours Blue Exhibition |
Description | The creation of 1000 Colours Blue exhibited in Swansea and in Glasgow See Report and images: http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Impact | See Report and images: http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
URL | https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Title | 1000 Colours Blue Performance |
Description | Numerous workshops with local choirs in Swansea, Aberystwyth and Exeter, to create a live CHoir performance in the centre of Swansea using the art work 1000 COlours Blue as the SOund Score See Report and images: http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Impact | It led to further proejcts in Glasgow - Future Memory in Red Road with art pracittioners and community members (http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa) and also See REPORT http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
URL | https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Title | Future Memory in Red Road Glasgow Art Work |
Description | The creation of coloured Sheets and fabrics representing stories gathered from archaeological objects, collected by participants (school pupils) by Artist Catrin Webster and Participants, hung on the Red Road Flats See details and images: http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2013 |
Impact | This brought together numerous members of the community, including those in conflict, long term residents and refugees into a shared event, and also got some of them to establish relationships, that were previously difficult. It also changed perception of the nature of the site and the stories and narrative s associated with ti, through a combination of ancient history, archaeology, art and music. See details and images: http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa |
URL | https://www.facebook.com/pages/Future-Memory-In-Red-Road/567530939948200 |
Title | Future Memory in Red Road Glasgow Performance |
Description | A musical and artistic performance, involving live choir and pre-recorded music / stories projected from the Red Road Flats, with hundreds of local people and residents coming to attend. See details and images: http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2013 |
Impact | This brought together numerous members of the community, including those in conflict, long term residents and refugees into a shared event, and also got some of them to establish relationships, that were previously difficult. It also changed perception of the nature of the site and the stories and narrative s associated with ti, through a combination of ancient history, archaeology, art and music. See details and images: http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa |
URL | https://www.facebook.com/pages/Future-Memory-In-Red-Road/567530939948200 |
Title | Postcard Exhibition |
Description | See Report and images: http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Impact | It led to further proejcts in Glasgow - Future Memory in Red Road with art pracittioners and community members (http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa) and also See REPORT http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
URL | https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Title | Sculpture Tessera Hospitalis |
Description | A sculpture permanently located at the Swansea National Waterfront Museum See Report and images: http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Impact | It led to further proejcts in Glasgow - Future Memory in Red Road with art pracittioners and community members (http://on.fb.me/1a4SZjp; http://bit.ly/19u93Aa) and also See REPORT http://projects.beyondtext.ac.uk/deplacingfuturememory-fo/index.php https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
URL | https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Title | Various |
Description | A variety of pieces including: sculpture, Performance, Musical Composition, Paintings, Art Exhibitions, and Art / Music Workshops |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Impact | We reached over 3000 participants, with most directly taking part in the activities. These art works toured in Glasgwo, adn were exhibited in Swansea and Glasgow reachign hundreds and thousands more. ALl the detials are on the website below. |
URL | https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Description | See Imaginging Futures thorugh Un/Archived Pasts |
Exploitation Route | See Imaginging Futures thorugh Un/Archived Pasts |
Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Description | To create additional workshops and links between different organisations in the COmmunity it can all be found in the reports: https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10472/5386 |
Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
Description | with Future Memory in Place |
Geographic Reach | Asia |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Attitudes to migratn groups and inter-community relations |
Description | Italy as a Cross Road: The transformative nature of Human Mobility. The Italian case as an explanatory model. |
Amount | £28,324 (GBP) |
Funding ID | AH/I027118/1 |
Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | Alternative place currently applying for funding to work with international artists to the ERC. |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Country | Belgium |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Information taken from Final Report |
Description | Future Memory in Red Road |
Organisation | Big Lottery Fund |
Department | Awards for All Scotland |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Isayev has led three projects, drawing on the implications of historical research, in collaboration with art practitioners, to engage young people, minority and disaffected groups in shared reflection and creative activity. These projects, centred on the paradoxical idea of Future Memory, have been used to create alternative spaces in which to re-think attitudes to human mobility, otherness and identity. These projects, while promoting new forms of cultural and artistic activity, have produced social benefit, in enabling large numbers of people, especially young people in deprived communities, to think constructively about their own identity, memories and sense of belonging. |
Collaborator Contribution | As above |
Impact | Film and various EVENTS All included in the film and listed in the report - interdisciplinary - including performance, art work and workshops |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Future Memory in Red Road |
Organisation | Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Isayev has led three projects, drawing on the implications of historical research, in collaboration with art practitioners, to engage young people, minority and disaffected groups in shared reflection and creative activity. These projects, centred on the paradoxical idea of Future Memory, have been used to create alternative spaces in which to re-think attitudes to human mobility, otherness and identity. These projects, while promoting new forms of cultural and artistic activity, have produced social benefit, in enabling large numbers of people, especially young people in deprived communities, to think constructively about their own identity, memories and sense of belonging. |
Collaborator Contribution | As above |
Impact | Film and various EVENTS All included in the film and listed in the report - interdisciplinary - including performance, art work and workshops |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Future Memory in Red Road |
Organisation | Street Level Photoworks Gallery |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Isayev has led three projects, drawing on the implications of historical research, in collaboration with art practitioners, to engage young people, minority and disaffected groups in shared reflection and creative activity. These projects, centred on the paradoxical idea of Future Memory, have been used to create alternative spaces in which to re-think attitudes to human mobility, otherness and identity. These projects, while promoting new forms of cultural and artistic activity, have produced social benefit, in enabling large numbers of people, especially young people in deprived communities, to think constructively about their own identity, memories and sense of belonging. |
Collaborator Contribution | As above |
Impact | Film and various EVENTS All included in the film and listed in the report - interdisciplinary - including performance, art work and workshops |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Future Memory in Red Road |
Organisation | University of Glasgow |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Isayev has led three projects, drawing on the implications of historical research, in collaboration with art practitioners, to engage young people, minority and disaffected groups in shared reflection and creative activity. These projects, centred on the paradoxical idea of Future Memory, have been used to create alternative spaces in which to re-think attitudes to human mobility, otherness and identity. These projects, while promoting new forms of cultural and artistic activity, have produced social benefit, in enabling large numbers of people, especially young people in deprived communities, to think constructively about their own identity, memories and sense of belonging. |
Collaborator Contribution | As above |
Impact | Film and various EVENTS All included in the film and listed in the report - interdisciplinary - including performance, art work and workshops |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Campus in Camps, Palestine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Several workshops including with ARchitects as part of the group listed above, as part of Initiative of Campus in Camps. I provided a conceptual framework stemming form ancient mobility, ancient heritage approaches and material culture studies. Also working with those organising Tours - Detour thorugh Refugee Camps, and those involved in preserving Heritage in Palestine. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.campusincamps.ps/#place-heritage-and-belonging-livy-and-cicero |
Description | Europe Discourse - Global Centre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Providing an alternative place to think through contemporary concerns - thanks to research into the ancient world and migration, esp. during Current Refugee Crisis Specifically as concerns Europe. Discourse and changes in views beyond what is believed in the Media - creation of a workign partnership with Global Centre. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk/events/gc-community-events |
Description | Global Centre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Providing an alternative place to think through contemporary concerns - thanks to research into the ancient world and migration, esp. during Current Refugee Crisis. People said that they changed how thy thought about the issues, and have invited me back to take part in future discourse on the state of Europe. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk/events/gc-community-events |
Description | Radio - Politics, migration and place, boundaries and finance' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | with others, hosted by Audaye, 'Politics, migration and place, boundaries and finance' Programme Title: A Head of the Curve Date of and time of broadcast:Wednesday 14th July 10 5pm-6pm GMT Phonic FM 106.8, Devon, UK http://www.phonic.fm/2010/07/30/politics-migration-and-place-boundaries-and-finance/ Radio Interview about key issues |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | Radio - Spaces and places from antiquity to present day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | with Richard Seaford, hosted by Audaye, 'Spaces and places from antiquity to present day' Programme Title: A Head of the Curve Date of and time of broadcast: Friday 24th December 10 10am-12pm GMT Phonic FM 106.8, Devon, UK http://www.phonic.fm/2010/12/24/spaces-and-places-from-antiquity-to-present-day/ Interest in topic |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | School Visit for Outreach event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | School Discussion about Migration ancient and modern |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |