Classical philosophy and social theory have long considered the ways in which the city is hospitable; open to the arrival of strangers, newcomers and migrants. In the Open City Project, working at multiple scales of the city as a whole, a single borough, a neighbourhood and a single housing estate, this sense of arrival, belonging and making a home was explored in collaborations across London with three artists. Drawing on different art forms, a scenographer (with a background in forensic architecture), a film-maker, and a socially engaged artist generated work that was central to our research. In this talk, we discuss these collaborations and consider how arts-based methods, often alongside co-produced or collaborative work, have become increasingly common across the social sciences. We discuss critically some of what have become conventional wisdoms of such work, surprising symmetries and asymmetries of knowledge production, especially within the affective register, the relationalities of churning urban life on the ground (and far below it!) and the always surprising insights of empirical research in migration studies, cutting across pasts, presents, and claims over the future.
COMPAS Seminar Series Trinity Term 2025 in collaboration with Kellogg College and TORCH
Migration has shaped human history, society and culture – and the same can be said of the Arts. As people move, they take their stories with them, recalling, adapting, learning and searching for new ways of expression. Today, migration research presents fresh and innovative ways of telling those stories, but arts-based approaches still prevail.
This seminar series focuses on how the Arts can advance and illuminate migration research, elevating the experiences of individuals and acknowledging value across artistic practices.
Attendance is free, and all are welcome. Each seminar is followed by an informal social gathering at The Victoria, Jericho.
This series is in collaboration with Kellogg College and TORCH.
Also join online via Zoom - Meeting ID: 913 6091 2697
