OU researchers work with artists to think about migration

OU researchers are highlighting migration, citizenship and participation in the context of climate change and the experience of refugees at the Who are we? project symposium at the Tate Modern from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 May.

Climate change has led to displacement and food insecurities. One of the projects to be showcased at the symposium is Picturing Climate, led by Dr Agnes Czaijka, which hosted its first set of storytelling and participatory photography workshops in Cuba in April, with school-aged children, in collaboration with Riera Studio. The children learned how to plant vegetables, creating a small urban farm on the grounds of their school. Riera Studio also prepared a Spanish-language guide to planting and urban farming, aimed at young people, their families, and school teachers, to serve as a resource for the local community. 

Other topics to be discussed at the symposium are what citizenship means in these turbulent times and refugees’ experiences of violence through borders.

OU PhD student, Evgenia Iliadou, project lead for the Refugees’ Experiences of Violence contribution, said:

“The so called- refugee crisis is not a random, unforeseen, unpreventable event or a tragic accident but rather it is an outcome of a continuum of political decisions in time and space.

“The social harm, multiple forms of violence and death border crossers experience while seeking sanctuary to Europe could be avoided if instead of the closed and militarised borders there were safe passages which lead to Europe.” 

The OU is hosting this symposium in conjunction with Counterpoint Arts.

Visit the Tate website for more information.