Cultural Diversity, Migration Integration and Youth Action: New Perspectives and Innovative Practices
A public event organised by Home Away from Home in partnership with HOMELandS
The Home Away From Home (HafH) ERASMUS+ project together with HOMELandS (Hub on Migration, Exile, Languages and Spaces) are holding this public event within a context of increasing levels of migration in Europe. Given the well-documented increase in negative sentiments towards immigration, we aim to support the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. Though the concept of integration is a contested one, we define it as successful co-existence of two or more cultures within one society, which requires change and re-education for all in order to address negative attitudes towards increasing diversity, rather than the ‘melting pot’ metaphor, which tends to be synonymous with assimilation.
The event is one of five national dissemination events organised by HafH ERASMUS+ partner countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany and UK). We seek to use this opportunity to share some of our research and practices with a larger audience, and to generate wider debate on cultural diversity and migration integration that has been the focus of research of both HafH and HOMELandS. The overall aim of this one-day event is to contribute to the better integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Europe through promoting innovative youth actions and empowering young volunteers and professionals. The intention has been to produce a rich, action-oriented and experienced set of outcomes in relation to both practice and research through the co-production of knowledge between academics and practitioners and through interdisciplinarity.
The event will start with a presentation of HafH project activities and research findings by Professor Terry Lamb from University of Westminster in order to introduce the themes of the day, which include critical discussion of the construct of integration and ways of supporting inclusion in multicultural contexts. This is echoed by a panel that introduces HOMELandS research dedicated to migration and diaspora studies through a cross-cultural and comparative perspective. In the third session, representatives of grass-roots migration projects and organisations share their insights and experiences of working with migrants and refugees in the UK. The final session discusses participatory art practices as an innovative way of enhancing community integration, before we move to the final general discussion of the event that unpacks the notion of integration and offers an opportunity to explore and propose new perspectives and innovative future-focused actions and practices. The event is free to attend. Please register via Eventbrite:
Event Programme
9: 30 Arrival and Tea/Coffee
10:00 to 10:10 Opening and Welcome Address
10:10 to 10:30 Thinking About and Doing Integration in Multicultural Britain: Presentation of HafH Project Activities and Research Directions
Terry Lamb (University f Westminster)
Professor of Languages and Interdisciplinary Pedagogy and Research Lead of HafH
Alexandra Georgiou (University College London)
10:30 to 12:00 Session 1: Intersections between Mobilities, Languages, Cultures and Spaces
Chair: Petros Karatsareas (University of Westminster)
HOMELandS: an overview
Cangbai Wang (University of Westminster and Director of HOMELandS)
Sink without trace: an exhibition on migrant deaths at sea.
Federica Mazzara (University of Westminster) and Maya Ramsay (Independent artist)
Mixing languages in a denied community: The case of new Italian migrants in London
Giulia Pepe (University of Westminster)
Transcultural intricacies in everyday public spaces
Goran Vodicka (University of Westminster)
12:00 to 13:00 Lunch Break
13:00 to 14:30 Session 2: Working with Refugees and the Younger Generation: Community Integration, Social Participation and Empowerment
Chair: Cangbai Wang (University of Westminster)
Introduction
Terry Lamb (University of Westminster)
Emily Stevenson and Rawand Ahmed
Tales of a City Tours
Others to be confirmed
14:30 to 15:00 Tea/Coffee Break
15:00 to 16:00 Session 3: Curating Migration: Participatory Art Practices as an Innovative Way of Enhancing Community Integration.
Chair: Goran Vodicka (University of Westminster)
Human bridges through art
Dima Karout (Artist-Curator + Educator, Migration Museum at the Workshop)
The role of art making and object stories of British Chinese women: A wider view
Denise Kwan (University of Westminster)
16:00 to 17:00 From Theory to Practice and Back Again: General Discussion and Conclusion
Terry Lamb and Cangbai Wang
This is a Language Acts and Worldmaking associated partners event.