The role of the arts and memory in mixed ethnicity Self-formation

Mixed ethnicity people (i.e. people whose parents/ancestors
are from different ethnic backgrounds) have been a fast
growing demographic in the UK in recent years (highlighted by
the 2001 and 2011 censuses). Due to continuous media
attention, with many public figures advocating for increased
recognition of mixed ethnicity as a distinct group, there is a
pressing need for research into their diverse experiences and
identification (Aspinall and Song, 2013). This PhD project will
examine how individuals of mixed Black/White and Asian/White
ethnicity come to understand their ethnicity in
consuming/engaging with the arts (here specifically, reactions
to art exhibitions exploring mixed identity such as The Reno
exhibition at The Whitworth, as well as explorations of mixed
identity in 21st century literature such as Chandra Prasad's
Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial
Experience and Patrice Lawrence's Orangeboy). In examining
this it aims to produce new knowledge of the cultural
history/memory and processes behind the formation of
contemporary mixed ethnic identity. Through critical discourse
analysis and focus groups, this research will examine the
experiences of the arts surrounding mixed ethnicity individuals
in contemporary British society, and where they then position
themselves between competing discourses of identity.